Down The Rabbit Hole
by ilikezombies
Summary: [AU] [OC] After the Battle of Earth the UNSC and Separatist forces go on the offensive carrying out the war for another three years. Corporal Ashton Dommer an ODST is deployed with the rest of the First Recon Battalion in preparation for the invasion of Balaho. Something goes wrong mid-drop and he finds himself in a strange new world. Could this be the fresh start he always wanted?
1. Act 1, Chapter 1

**A/N: Alright, Time for a new story. Yay I just love giving myself more work to manage don't I?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Halo they are respectively owned by Rooster Teeth and 343 Industries.**

(Text)

**(Flashback/Author notes)**

_(Thoughts)_

**Chapter 1: The new beginning**

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 7th 2555, Onboard UNSC Cerberus in orbit over Balaho**

"MARINES! For far too long. . . .we've fought this war. We've lost so many. . .But today we stand here with the hope for a new victory. . .a new beginning. After these many years of bloodshed we've finally found the homeworld of the Unggoy or "Grunts" . Now I know how much you tough sons of bitches hate them, And that's why I'm proud to say that Fleet Admiral Hood has given the "Okay" with turning the First Recon loose on those poor bastards. I expect nothing less than fu-..." The Major Generals voice trailed off in Ashtons head as he thought back to how his life had come to this point.

**Five years ago**

"**I, Ashton Dommer, Do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Unified Earth Government against all enemies, Foreign and domestic; That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; And that I will obey the orders of the President of the Unified Earth Government and the orders of the officers appointed above me, According to regulations and the uniform code of military justice, So help me god." Ashton said holding his right hand in the air as he recited the UNSC oath of enlistment. He had although against his mother's wishes enlisted in the UNSC to help in the war. This was in his mind the start of a grand adventure.**

**One month after enlistment**

"**THIS IS MY RIFLE! THERE ARE MANY LIKE IT, BUT THIS ONE IS MINE! MY RIFLE IS MY BEST FRIEND! IT IS MY LIFE! I MUST MASTER IT AS I MUST MASTER MY LIFE! MY RIFLE, WITHOUT ME, IS USELESS! WITHOUT MY RIFLE, I AM USELESS! I MUST FIRE MY RIFLE TRUE! I MUST SHOOT STRAIGHTER THAN MY ENEMY WHO IS TRYING TO KILL ME! I MUST SHOOT HIM BEFORE HE SHOOTS ME! I WILL!" Ashton recited the riflemans creed with the rest of his platoon while in formation during his bootcamp.**

"**MY RIFLE AND MYSELF KNOW THAT WHAT COUNTS IN THIS WAR****IS NOT THE ROUNDS WE FIRE, THE NOISE OF OUR BURST, NOR THE SMOKE WE MAKE!, WE KNOW THAT IT IS THE HITS THAT COUNT! WE WILL HIT!"**

**Two years after enlistment**

"**MARINE CORPS IN THE SKY! HOLY HELL WE'RE GONNA DIE! WHAT THE FUCKS A PARACHUTE!? I WAS TOLD TO GRUNT AND SHOOT!" Ashton sang the cadence while in full combat gear during ODST training.**

"**DOMMER!**"

"**YES, SIR!?"**

"**YOU CALL THAT LOUD!?**"

"**YES, SIR!"**

"**WELL IT'S NOT, INFACT IT'S LIKE YOU'RE NOT EVEN FUCKING TALKING, THIRTY NOW!**"

"**AYE, SIR!" Ashton yelled as he dropped to the ground and starting doing pushups while the platoon jogged in place.**

"**ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FOUR, FOUR, FOUR, FOUR, FOUR, YOU'RE GONNA PUSH 'TILL I GET TIRED DOMMER! ARE WE CLEAR!?**"

"**YES, SIR!"**

**Present time**

"Marines across the entire UNSC would give everything to be where y'all are today! Anyone not want to go!?" The Major General was wrapping up his speech to the First Recon Battalion.

"NO, SIR!"

"When you marines get down there what are you gonna do!?"

"KILL!"

"Damn right you will, Dismissed!"

**Drop bay ten minutes before the drop**

"I'm just saying, Why can't we ever invade a cool planet? You know like one full of chicks in bikinis?" A marine named Jake said prompting a few chuckles as the ODST anthem played over the speakers in the background, This was traditional before every drop.

"I don't know Jake, But if you can find me a planet full of chicks in bikinis I'll spearhead that invasion anyday."

"Was that a sex joke?"

"No."

"Well it should be." Jake said as the preparatory siren came on and the Lieutenant entered the bay.

"Alright boys, Let's do this. Any questions before we step off?" Lieutenant Hansen asked putting on his helmet prompting the other marines to put on their helmets.

No one said anything only loaded their weapons and did last minute checks on their gear.

"That's what I like to hear marines, Now how will we get down there!?" The lieutenant asked.

"Feet first, Sir!" Came a chorus of yells.

"Good, Now load up and prepare to drop." The Lieutenant said as his visor polarized.

The ODSTs loaded into their pods. Ashton tensed up as the hatch closed shut and he felt his pod being moved into position. He looked at his SRS99D-S2 locked into position on his left and his M7S locked in on his right and felt butterflies in his stomach as his two screens came to life showing the lieutenant and his squad leader.

"Alright boys, Show time." The squad leader said as the small countdown timer went off and the pods were launched towards the planets surface.

Ashton tried to keep the blood from rushing to his head as they started to hit the atmosphere.

"What the hell is that?"

Ashton looked and saw a white flash as they hit the methane filled atmosphere. It only lasted a moment but it was long enough that the polarization of his visor adjusted. The pods broke through the clouds and were descending to what appeared to be some kind of forest. The methane in the atmosphere made it hard for any intel to be gathered from orbit which was why the first recon battalion had been sent in in the first place. But then again with all the methane no one was expecting a lush forest as their landing zone.

Ashtons pod slammed into the ground hard and the hatch flung open. Ashton ran out and took cover behind a tree. Jake who had landed not too far away ran up and joined him.

"Can you contact anyone?" Ashton asked while jake took out his TACPAD which let him get the positions of all the other pods.

"We're missing a few. The high methane level in the atmosphere could be messing with electronics or something. . . .speaking of the methane. We couldn't see shit on the way down. . .right?" Jake asked looking up.

"Yeah."

"Well how come it's clear as shit out now?"

Ashton looked up and realised how clear the night sky was.

"Also, Not to complain. But didn't this planet have two moons? Both of which were not broken?"

Ashton nodded his head "Yeah. . . .something ain't right. Try raising the lie-"

"Anyone copy?" The radio crackled

Jake spoke into the communicator inside his helmet "Loud and clear, Sir."

"I just found alpha squad dead fifteen meters from their pods, We're not alone."

"Roger that, Sir. Orders?"

"Head to the RV point, We'll link up an-" The radio cut to static.

"What the hell?" Ashton asked.

"His signal was lost, Could've been the trees."

"Yeah the trees that killed alpha squad."

A loud scream erupted breaking the silence of the night and interrupting the conversation.

"Sounded like the LT, We better move!"

"Wait. Do you hear that?" Ashton said stopping him.

They could hear the bushes rustling.

"Let's go this way, We just need to get out of this creepy fucking forest."

"I'm on your six, Let's g-AGH!"

Ashton turned to see a tall black creature standing behind Jake, It had stuck its razor sharp claws through Jakes chest.

"HOLY SHIT!" Ashton yelled as he drew his M7S and aimed.

Jake stuck his arm up as if to stop him. As the creature started dragging him into the tree line Jake detonated a frag grenade killing him and the creature. Ashton shook his head at the gory seen for a moment before deciding he needed to get the hell out of here. He picked a direction and began running. Every now and then he would hear a burst of gunfire off in the distance maybe an explosion but they usually ended quickly. He suddenly found himself at the bottom of a cliff.

"Great. . . .no way out." He thought aloud as two more of the black creatures came out of the woodline.

He raised his M7S to his shoulder and began firing as the two of them charged him. One of them fell to the ground writhing in pain from the bullets while the other pushed through and bit him on the arm. Ashton whipped out his M6S and shot it in the face. He walked over to the other one and finished it off with a headshot. Another two came out of the tree line but this time with a third creature that resembled a bear.

"Oh fuck me." He said as he took out his SRS99D and aimed he lined up a shot with its head and fired. The shot didn't penetrate the armor on its head.

"_Oh shit shit shit shit shit._" Ashton thought as he adjusted his aim and took out the two smaller wolf like creatures. The bear like one was coming at him in a full charge now he aimed for its stomach and got one more shot off before it charged into him and sent him flying into the nearby cliff. Ashton looked at the hole in his chest from the spike on the creatures shoulder before aiming his M6S up at it and emptying the magazine in one last act of defiance. He coughed up some blood onto his visor obscuring his vision. But suddenly the creature stopped coming at him. Slowly the upper half of its body slid off. . .the creature had been cut clean in half. He swore he could see someone standing behind it but the blood all over the inside of his helmet made it hard to see. He could feel someone taking off his helmet, a blonde girl. He could feel her check his wrist for his pulse before he passed out.

**UNSC Cerberus in orbit over Balaho**

"Major General, I don't want excuses. I want answers. What do we know about what happened down there?"

"Well, Sir. As far as we know after the initial drop the entire first platoon had completely disappeared, We have no idea where they went or are now. We have them down as MIA but are speculating they were killed in atmosphere by something."

"You'll keep them down as MIA for now until we can find proof otherwise. I want to get to the bottom of this. You know how much I favor first recon. Now I've got ONI breathing down my neck because we lost an entire platoon by what appears to be magic, On top of that the covenant are trying to muster what reinforcements they can to send here."

"What are your orders, General?"

"Muster up some of your ODSTs and have them search this grid sector for any sign of the missing members of first recon. I expect you to report back to me in two hours whether the news is good or bad, Major General. Dismissed."

"Dismissed, Aye aye, Sir."

As the lower ranking officer left the general stepped into the light, Revealing his scarred face and salt and pepper hair, examining the file on the table of Corporal Ashton Dommer.

"ONI likes this one for some reason. . . .He would of course end up missing on one of my operations."

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, Unknown Time, Unknown Location**

When Ashton came to he found himself staring at a stark white ceiling. He was groggy and felt an intense pain all over his body. He slowly turned his head to his left and looked at the medical equipment next to him.

"_I must be on a hospital ship or something._" Ashton thought to himself closing his eyes again.

CLANG

He re-opened his eyes and turned his head to the right to see a girl dressed in red and black sitting in a chair, She had just dropped his ODST helmet onto the floor and was picking it back up, He stared at her while she sat back up and continued examining his helmet. After turning it over in her hands a few times she raised it up and contemplated putting it on before she noticed him staring at her. They both stared at eachother for a moment before Ashtons eyes drifted over to the nightstand next to him. On top of it was his M6S pistol, He grabbed it and quickly aimed it at the girl. He held up his finger to his mouth telling her to be quiet as he slowly got up and looked around. He spotted a window and made his way to it, Keeping his weapon pointed at the girl, He looked out the window before opening it with his free hand. From the landscape outside he was clearly not on Balaho and definitely not on a UNSC hospital ship. He leaned out and dropped the one and a half stories to the ground into the soft grass next to the building.

"Wait!" The girl yelled as he dropped.

He took off sprinting feeling a sharp pain in his chest as he did so. The girl dropped out of the window after him.

"_Of course she has to be a persistent one._" Ashton thought as he rounded a corner around a building and hid in the shadows for a moment as the girl ran past.

He watched her run quite a distance in a short time before stopping to decide a direction and setting off in it. Ashton turned around and took off in another direction, He noticed there were no people around but shrugged it off as nothing, The pain in his chest started back up again after he had been running for a little while until suddenly he found himself on the ground staring at the sky with a new pain in his neck. He had been clotheslined, He instinctively raised his pistol up at the person standing above him but he was immediately met with a blade very close to his face, It seemed to be the blade of an older style sword. He tensed his finger on the trigger but was interrupted by a voice.

"You wouldn't dare shoot me." The female standing above him said coldly.

He hesitated only a moment to study her face before aiming his pistol slightly to the right and letting the shot rip right next to her ear, She flinched as the bullet cracked past, Using this as a distraction Ashton kicked her feet out from under her and jumped back up trying to take off again. He only got a few feet before he felt something wrap around his legs, Looking down he saw black cloth wrapped around his legs before he fell over and hit his head on the ground. Before he passed out he could see a pair of legs in front of his face and heard a few voices before everything went black.

**UNSC Cerberus in orbit over Balaho**

"General Cato, What's the status of your men on the surface?" Fleet Admiral Hood asked.

"Good, Sir. We're slowly beating back the reinforcements the Covenant have scraped together to defend the planet. I expect to have the ground war won within a week."

"Good, What about you, Vice Admiral?"

"Sir, The Covenant fleets as usual have always been stronger. We're winning but just barely and the tables could flip at any moment."

"Hmm, Then I will dispatch the Infinity to your location to assist. I'll patch Captain Del Rio into the call now." The Fleet Admiral said as the fourth mans face appeared in the video conference between the commanders.

"Admiral, I just received your orders."

"Good, I expect you to head out immediately."

"Aye aye, Sir. We're setting a new heading for Balaho."

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, Unknown Time, Unknown Location**

Ashton woke up again. The room was dark, He couldn't see a thing and he couldn't move. But he felt a presence. So he wasn't very surprised when he was hit by a flash of white light in his face.

"What's your name?" Came a voice from behind the light.

"Ashton Dommer, Corporal, July 20th 2533."

"Why are you here?"

"Ashton Dommer, Corporal, July 20th 2533."

"Are you going to actually respond?"

"Ashton Dommer, Corporal, July 20th 2533."

"Professor. We're getting no where with him. We should just turn him over to the authorities."

"Hold on. I want to try something."

Ashton listened as the voices argued. One sounded more stern while the other was calm. The light was moved back out of his face to reveal a man sitting at a table in front of him. Ashton was tied to a chair. The man in front of him was wearing a green suit and had on circular glasses.

"We have no intention of harming you, We just want your cooperation." The man said fixing his glasses. Ashton remained silent.

"Now, Originally we found you in the middle of the forest, alone, half dead fighting an Ursa. Care to explain to me how you got there?"

"SOEIV." Ashton murmured.

The man just stared at him.

"Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle."

The man continued to stare at him.

"Oh for the love of-The big metal pod."

"Ah." The man said. "Now, You got here in those pods. . .but why were you in the Emerald Forest with those pods?"

"Emerald Forest?"

"Yes, That is where you landed."

"So then I suppose I didn't land on the planet Balaho."

"No."

"I also suppose you've never heard of the UNSC? Or the Covenant?"

"I am afraid not, Young man."

"I don't suppose you would know what happened to the rest of my friends?"

The man just looked away.

"I understand." Ashton said hanging his head down.

The man stared at him for a moment with some regret for not saying something.

"I'd like for you to explain what this UNSC and this Covenant are though, Could you do that?"

"The UNSC is the United Nations Space Command it is the military, exploratory, and scientific agency of the United Earth Government."

"And the Covenant?"

"The Covenant Empire is an alliance of alien species who follow a religion worshipping these beings known as forerunners. Upon discovering humankind their religion deemed us unfit to live or a disgrace to their religion, There are a lot of theories going around about it but anyway, The Covenant waged a genocidal war on humanity and we've been stuck in brutal conflict ever since."

"Well young man, I think both you and I have come to the conclusion that you don't belong here. So I assume you don't have anywhere to go."

"Yeah. . . ."

"Well then. . . .how would you like to attend my academy?"

The woman who had been standing behind the man the entire time and had been mostly quiet spoke up.

"Professor! Do you really think this is a good idea? To let this person whom we have no idea is, Who also is making a ridiculous claim of fighting a war with alien beings. You're just going to blindly trust him and let him into Beacon? What's to say that he didn't hit his head when that Ursa tossed him? Or that he's just lying through his teeth?"

"That's just it Ms Goodwitch. We have no reason to trust him. . . .but we have no reason to doubt him either. Both you and I have seen the strange weapons he was carrying, The clothing, The pods."

"I can prove it." Ashton said interrupting their argument.

The woman raised an eyebrow.

"How?" She asked him in a stern voice.

"Well, If you would be so kind as to return me my helmet I can produce all the proof you will need."

The man whispered something into her ear and she left the room, She returned a short while later and placed his helmet on the table.

"If you would kindly undo my restraints." Ashton said to the woman in his best smart ass voice.

The woman untied him, Intentionally hurting him a little in the process.

"Now. If it's still here. . . ." Ashton muttered to himself as he flipped the helmet around.

"What are you looking for?" The man asked.

"All UNSC helmets record our engagements so that the Office of Naval Intelligence and officers can study the recorded footage and improve tactics. This footage is recorded on this bad boy right here." He said pulling the chip out of the back of his helmet and holding it up.

The woman snatched it out of his hand.

"Well, Young man. It'll take about a day for us to adapt the files on this to play on one of our machines. Until then we'll have to house you with one of the teams as we don't have an extra room at the moment. Ms Goodwitch will show you where you'll stay and introduce you with the people you'll live with for a day or two until we can have a room done for you."

He motioned for him to stand up and follow him.

"Before I go anywhere. Two things, I want my gear."

"Of course, It shall be returned to you immediately, And the other thing you wanted?"

"Your name."

"My name is Professor Ozpin. I am the headmaster of this school. Beacon Academy."

He then motioned for Ashton to follow the woman out.

"I'll also expect to speak with you tomorrow." The headmaster called as he left the room.

**Fifteen minutes later**

"You'll be staying in this room for today. The other occupants will return from their classes shortly. Here are your belongings." The woman said opening the door for him and pointing to his ruck, armor, and weapons next to the door.

"Thanks."

"Do not take this as kindness, I am doing as instructed. I do not trust you."

"I never asked you to." Ashton said kneeling down opening his ruck.

"Like I said, Don't take this as kindness. I'm sure you'll love your new roommates." The woman said with a slight evil tone closing the door.

Ashton did not find himself reassured after her parting statement. He plopped onto the floor and looked around. He saw two hastily created bunk beds that after staring at them for a moment deemed death traps as one was literally being supported by a pile of books. He checked the door only to find it was locked. . . .she had locked him in.

"Great. . . ." Ashton muttered to himself. He pulled his M6S off the floor and turned it over in his hands for a moment before disassembling it. Cleaning your weapons was a good way to pass the time in the field and it seemed like he would be waiting awhile.

**UNSC Cerberus in orbit over Balaho**

"Major General, Report. Did you find anything on the missing troopers?" General Cato asked.

"Negative, Sir. They've disappeared without a trace."

"Alright. . . .now I've got to tell ONI that. . . .they're not going to like it I suppose we'll have to expect spooks all over our asses now."

"If I may ask. Why are ONI so interested in a few troopers that burned up in atmosphere?"

"Because ONI is thinking they didn't burn up in atmosphere and something else is going on."

"But even if that is the case, Why are they so interested."

"Tell me, Major General. In the entire time you've commanded the 22nd Shock Troops division has there been any unit that stood out to you within the First Recon Battalion?"

"Yes, Sir. Nightmare Company for their exemplary performance during the battle of Earth."

"And are there any men within that particular company you would say really stand out?"

"Lance Corporal Jake Montoya, Sergeant Alan Chang, Corporal Ashton Dommer, and Lieutenant Ben Herrera. All earned countless awards during the battle for Earth. Although Chang and Herrera are dead. Montoya and Dommer were deployed here."

"Exactly. It's those two troopers that ONI is interested in."

"ONI is interested in two of my men, Why?"

"Are you familiar with the SPARTAN-IV program, Major General?"

"Yes, Sir. To my knowledge there are quite a few fighting in the ground war below."

"Then I'm sure you're familiar with the number of recruits they pull from the ODSTs."

"Yes, Sir. Although they mostly took from the 105th Shock Troops and not us."

"Well they're interested in those two men of yours. Two men who just so happened to go missing during this very operation."

"Why are they so important to ONI and the SPARTAN-IV program?"

"If I knew I would tell you. Although I have a hunch as to why. I've been going over the files of both those troopers to figure out why. Montoya was relatively clean. . . .Dommer on the other hand. . . .lots of black ink. I could see why they would want Montoya. . .he's a damn good trooper. Dommer on the other hand, Ever since the battle of Earth his mental examinations have shown him to be unstable. Engagements with Covenant forces tend to push him overboard. To the point he disregards his own safety to eliminate the enemy at all costs. Disobeying orders and nearly costing him his life on many occasions"

"And he hasn't been discharged?" The Major General asked with a bit of contemplation in his voice.

"No, Which catches me as odd that they would want someone like that for a thing such as the SPARTAN-IV program. Are you aware of the nickname he earned for himself?"

"No, Sir."

"From what I read in the file he earned his nickname "Psycho" during the battle of Earth. Now I'm no expert here Major General, I'm not around ODSTs every day I have other forces to command. But a nickname like Psycho is not something your ODSTs would just give without reason. Am I correct?"

"You are correct, Sir."

"So it's lead me to believe that something changed him during the battle for Earth. Something that gives him this killing intent. . .this drive. They want him to become a SPARTAN-IV because of this inner drive he possesses . . .whatever it is. If you think about it SPARTANs have already established themselves as a killing force to be reckoned with. So if you turned a natural killing machine into an even more capable killing machine. . . .that's what I think they're after."

"Sir, With all due respect. I think you're thinking into this too much."

"Then tell me Major General. What do you think."

"I don't think above my paygrade, General." The Major General responded with a hint of scorn in his voice.

"Fair enough. . . .dismissed, Major General."

"Dismissed, Aye aye, Sir."

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, Unknown Time, Unknown Location**

Ashton reassembled his M7S for the fifth time. He had been sitting here for a while now. As he placed the submachine gun on the floor and picked up his M6S pistol to begin disassembling it for the sixth time the door opened. Without looking up he pulled the slide back with a satisfying click.

"What's up?" He asked the people entering the room still not looking up from his weapon. He could feel them standing in front of him. . . .he could see their feet too.

"Look if there's a problem take it up with your commanding off- OH CRAP, YOU AGAIN!" Ashton yelled as he finally looked up to see the girl he nearly shot before standing right in front of him with the girl that had been holding his helmet before to her right.

He dove for a pistol magazine that was next to his ruck expecting a fight. The other girl was faster than him though and kicked it out of his reach.

"Woah woah woah woah! Calm down! We're not starting a fight!" She quietly yelled trying to get him to calm down.

The girl with white hair on the other hand was much less calm.

"YOU AGAIN, OH I HAVE HALF A MIND TO RIP YOU TO SHREDS FOR WHAT YOU DID, YOU COULD HAVE LEFT ME DEAF OR WITH A BROKEN LEG FROM WHAT YOU DID, WHY I OUGHTA THROW YOU OUT THE WIN-" But she was cut off by the girl dressed in red.

"Weiss! Calm down! Remember what Ms Goodwitch and Professor Ozpin said? We're not allowed to start trouble with him they said." She said trying to calm her down.

The girl with the white hair composed herself for a minute before speaking again.

"Fine. Fine, But I don't trust him and I don't like having him here. . . .in this room." She said.

"Don't worry, Weiss. They said it will only be for a day. . . .maybe two days at most. So just be calm. We don't even know his name."

He started to speak but was cut off by the white haired girl again as she picked his helmet off the floor.

"P5YCH0?" She read aloud. "What the hell kinda name is that?" She said turning towards him with a stern look on her face.

He placed his hand on his forehead. "What does it look like in the english language. . . .replace the numbers with their letter look-alikes. See it now?" He said treating her like she was five.

"Psycho?" The red haired one asked.

"Ding ding ding, There we go." He said.

"Well it fits him perfectly!" The white haired one whom from her conversation with the other girl he inferred was named Weiss said as she threw his helmet at him before storming out.

"And for the record! My name is NOT Psycho, That's more of a nickname!" He called after her as she stormed away.

"Well, What is your name then?" The other girl asked.

"Ashton. . . .I'm Corporal Ashton Dommer. But call me Ashton."

"Well Ashton. . . .I'm Ruby." She said sitting on the floor in front of him.

"Nice to meet you Ruby."

"Likewise. So. . . . .Where are you from? As in where's home?"

"Well. . . .Mom always said home was Harvest because that's where she was from. . . .but Harvest was glassed. So I guess you could say Earth was home. . . .but Earth was kinda glassed. . . . .at least partially."

"Are Harvest and Earth. . . .planets?" She asked him with a confused look on her face.

"Mhmm."

"So they weren't kidding when they said you claimed to be a spaceman from the future, Huh?"

"That's what they told you? Spaceman from the future?" He said with a chuckle.

"Well frankly it wouldn't be hard to mistake you fo- OH MY GOD WHAT IS THIS!?" She asked suddenly yelling with excitement.

She held up his SRS99D.

"WELL WHAT IS IT CALLED!?" She yelled in his face again with excitement.

"It's just the Sniper Rifle System 99D-S2 Anti-Matériel rifle. . . .that's all." He said rubbing his ear because of her yelling.

"That names a real mouth full, You should really consider giving it a shorter name. A name that describes its personality."

"Personality? It's a weapon."

"Weapons are extensions of ourselves. Our weapons are part of what make us. . . .us."

Ashton looked at her like she was crazy.

"Look. . . .If you're trying to convert me to some. . . .weapon worshipping religion. . . .I'm not interested in it."

Ruby looked at him as if he had personally insulted her.

"Hey! I don't worship weapons! I just like them al-"

She was interrupted by Weiss storming back into the room with two more people in tow.

"Ruby! Are you okay? We heard you yelling and came as fast as we could." The blonde one said as she ran into the room skidding to a halt.

"There he is, The psychopath. I'm sure he hurt her in some way." Weiss said.

"Psychopath? Weiss, That's the guy we rescued in the forest. You know the one who nearly shot you in the- Ohhhhhhhhhh."

"For the last time, I did not try and shoot you in the head, I simply shot next to your head so you would lower your defence."

"You're really not trying to act innocent here, Are you?" The one with black hair asked.

"I only say the truth. . . . .I'm sorry, I don't know either of your names."

"I'm Yang and this is Blake." Yang said.

"Ooooooh what's this!" Ruby said unsheathing his machete and examining it.

"Hey! Put that down!" He said grabbing it out of her hand.

"What? Come on just let me see it!" She protested.

He reluctantly handed it back to her. "Just don't cut yourself."

She got excited again quickly grabbing the blade back and examining it.

"Is this your symbol?" Ruby asked pointing to the faint engraving of the UNSC logo on the blade.

"My symbol? No. That's the UNSC logo."

"UNSC?" Blake asked leaning against the wall behind him now.

"United Nations Space Command."

"So you are a spaceman!" Ruby said like she had discovered a deep secret.

"No. . . sorta."

"Well what are you then?" Weiss asked getting in his face.

"You really want to know?"

"Go ahead." She responded.

"Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. . . .Are you familiar with the concept? No, Right? Figured." He said examining the confused look on her face.

"Orbital Drop what?" Yang asked.

"Let me simplify things, You're all familiar with the concept of warfare, I doubt you aren't."

They nodded their heads.

"In warfare Naval Infantry are the soldiers who come from the ocean onto an enemies shore. Hence Marine meaning "Of the Sea". So think of me as that but from space instead of the sea. . . .and planets instead of shores."

"So then you're a spaceman." Ruby said matter of factly.

"Yes. . . .I suppose you could say I am a spaceman."

"Well why are you here? You say you are a soldier. Are you invading us?" Weiss said sounding concerned now.

"Negative. Atleast I don't think so."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Blake questioned.

"It means I really don't know. I can't tell you everything. I'm not supposed to tell you anything. . . .but if it's the only way to get you off of my ass for more than five seconds I'd tell you so many memories you would probably have nightmares for a lifetime." He said looking at Weiss. "It's not a fun life I've lived. . . .but I don't take it too serious. . . .it's all part of something big, Just take the blows and roll with it. No one gets out of life alive anyway."

"Where are you going?" Yang asked as he made his way for the door.

"A walk." He said waving her off as he started down the hall.

"Wait up! You don't even know where you're going!" Yang called running after him.

"Yang! Stop him! Ozpin said we're not allowed to let him leave!" Ruby called after her.

"What do you think I'm doing!?" She yelled back as she ran around the corner after him. Leaving Ruby, Blake, and Weiss at the room.

"I still think he's crazy." Weiss said going back inside.

**A/N: That's that, Chapter one done. Yes, ONI technically has little to no control over the SPARTAN-IV program as Spartans is it's own branch in the UNSC. But just roll with it as this is AU. . . .I mean we're still fighting the Human-Covenant war. I know the ending for this chapter is kinda weak, I'll probably go and update this chapter at a later time. Also, Reach fans should get the reference towards a certain Noble team member in the chapter. Anyway, Enjoy the rest of your morning/day/evening after reading this.**

**[EDIT] Edited the chapter as I noticed some major mistakes I made (This is what I get for writing mostly at night) big ones like messing up Ashtons name right in the beginning (This is what I get for having two stories where characters have the first name beginning with A and the same last name) and an accidentally censored F-bomb (I debated originally to censor this story so it could be rated T but decided I wanted to keep it in it's original format to best convey the story). Anyway Chapter two should be uploaded in a few days if I can write on schedule for once.**


	2. Act 1, Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Halo they are respectively owned by Rooster Teeth and 343 Industries.**

(Text / Speech)

**(Flashbacks / Author Notes/ Video Recordings)**

_(Thoughts)_

**Chapter 2: Monster**

**Yang Xiao Long, July 14th -, Beacon Academy, Remnant**

"_Crap, For someone who was hospitalized for days he's pretty damn fast."_ Yang thought as she chased down the person whom the headmaster had entrusted her and her team to watch. But he had unexpectedly walked right out of the room and then ran down the hall. Fearing another escape attempt she pursued him. He had already attempted once before from the minute he woke up in the infirmary.

Yang took notice of a doorway to the roof hanging open as if someone had recently gone through it and took it as her best bet. She ran up the staircase as fast as she could and to her relief found the person she was looking for sitting on the edge of the roof.

"You're not contemplating suicide are you?" She asked slightly concerned with where he had seated himself.

He turned his head toward her for a moment before looking forward again.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." She said as she walked up behind him.

"I kinda came up here to be alone. . .no offence."

"Well I kinda can't let that happen in case you try to escape again. . . .no offence."

"Why? When I said I was going on a walk you doubted me? If I was trying to escape don't you think I would have been geared up and weapons drawn the moment anyone came into the room?" Ashton responded annoyed with the fact the girl was still bothering him.

"You know, You could be a bit nicer to me. I dragged your ass out of that forest." She said taking a seat next to him.

"I suppose you knocked me out when I tried to escape too?"

"No, Blake did that."

Ashton tried to get up and head for the door back inside but Yang stopped him.

"Where are you going looking pissed all of a sudden?" She asked worried how he changed so suddenly.

"To get my machete and stab her in the throat for knocking me out."

"Woah! Where did that come from? You really don't like losing do you?" She asked trying to keep him seated.

"No. Not particularly."

"Why?" She asked pulling him back down as he tried to stand up again.

"Well losing tended to end with a blade through your abdomen where I came from. . . .if you were lucky to live that long."

"Wow, You really know how to rain on a parade, You know that?" Yang said as he pushed her hand off his arm and finally was able to stand up. He began to make his way to the way back inside. She got up and ran to the door as quickly as she could to block him.

"Could you. . . .move?" He asked as she positioned herself in the doorway.

"Uh. . . .nope."

"So, First you don't want want me going outside. . .and now you don't want me going back in?"

"Did I ever mention you look really cute?" She said trying to change the subject and distract him.

Ashton broke out into laughter.

"Tha-that was hilarious. But honestly, I'm going to share a secret with you. You don't get into a special operations unit because you fall for stupid tricks like that." He said between laughs as he pushed past her. "And I'm not going to kill her, Just because you gave me a good laugh." Ashton called up as he went down the stairs.

**UNSC Cerberus in orbit over Balaho**

"GOD DAMMIT!" General Cato yelled as he lost communication with one of his commanders in the field that was requesting reinforcements for their FOB as it was being overrun.

Suddenly the door opened and two Marines escorting a woman in an ONI uniform.

"Thank you, Gentleman. Dismissed." She said prompting the Marines to salute and leave the room.

"I suppose you're the spook I've been expecting?"

"Spook is such a hateful word, General."

"I can't help what you are. . ."

"Alice Murray, Lieutenant Alice Murray. Office of Naval Intelligence, But we already established that. I suppose you already know why I'm here, General?"

"Yes, The troopers who burned up."

"Negative, General. They did not burn up. They should all still be alive and well if their drop went well. They're just somewhere else."

"What are you getting at?"

"Are you familiar with the Multiverse theory, General?"

"Aye."

"Well, Have a look at this." She said taking out her data pad.

A video started playing, A Strident-class heavy frigate could be seen floating through space.

"This is the UNSC Apollo. It was operating near the remains of Arcadia when. . .this happened." She said as the frigate was suddenly engulfed in a white flash and was gone.

"Were they making a slipspace jump?"

"No, The ship just suddenly disappeared like that. We've sectioned off that whole area, No ships allowed to go near it. We have no idea where the ship is now and we feel the same thing happened with the ODSTs. Other members of Nightmare Company who made it to the surface claim to have seen this same white flash as they hit the atmosphere. We have reason to believe that there are so called tears in our Universe for some reason. Places where if you go to them you will be taken inside and transported to another Universe. We know of the one near Arcadia and now we know of this one over an area of Balaho's atmosphere. We are going to assume that they either go to different locations in the same Universe or both areas lead to different Universes entirely."

"Would there be anyway of retrieving them?" General Cato asked.

"Not that we know of, General. Anything that goes into these tears doesn't come back out. We assume it's a one way trip as nothing has come back out."

"Well. . . .what exactly are you here to do besides give me a science lecture, Lieutenant."

"Well, Sir. I represent ONI's interest in two troopers Lance Corporal Jake Montoya and Corporal Ashton Dommer."

"I already know you're interested in the two troopers."

"Well we do have a plan on retrieving them. If you'll return with me to the Infinity, General?"

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, Unknown Time, Unknown Location**

Ashton entered back into the room only to find it empty again.

"Well okay, Everyone just disappear that's fine too." Ashton thought aloud as he opened his rucksack and pulled out a bandage as the one on his arms bite wound had become loose. He ripped the old one off with a loud tearing noise as Blake came back into the room.

"Oh, You're back." She said.

"Expecting I wasn't coming back?" He asked wrapping the new bandage around his arm without looking up.

"No it's just. . .you were gone for a while."

"So?"

"Well it's late."

"That's supposed to mean something?" Ashton asked as he went back to going through his ruck.

"Well. . . ." Blakes voice trailed off as Ashton looked up to find her standing there in her pajamas.

"What's with the pajamas?"

"Well. . . .it's late. We were going to sleep after we got back from getting a snack." She said as Ashton noticed the cup of water in her hand.

"Oh, Okay. Well. . . .enjoy your sleep." He said while unloading the magazine from his SRS and cycling the bolt with a loud click.

"Don't you have sleepwear?"

"Nope, I got that though." He said pointing to his armor.

"Oh. . . ."

"Yeah, When you're expecting to be sitting on some godforsaken rock where the atmosphere is made up of mostly methane for two weeks you're not exactly concerned with the creature comforts."

"Why would you be doing that?"

"Oh that's right, I never explained to anyone but your headmaster."

"Explained what?" She asked, The interest clearly sparked on her face.

"Nothing, I'll uh. . . .tell you later."

"Tell what?" Ruby asked strolling into the room, A cookie in hand.

"Nothing jus-Wait. . . is that my sidearm?" Ashton said pointing to the pistol in Rubys hand.

"What? No! What sidearm?" She said quickly hiding it behind her back.

"Were you walking the halls with this thing?" Ashton said stepping around her and taking the M6S from her hand.

"No. . . .maybe."

"Why? Why the hell would you deem it necessary to walk the halls with my, Emphasis on MY, sidearm. Especially while it's loaded!" He yelled as he cleared the chamber and ejected the magazine.

"I jus-"

"Are you crazy? I mean I get it you told me you like weapons! But you never take MY weapons anywhere without asking! I also noticed how you went through my ruck as everything is out of place and my ODST shirt is. . . .right here." He said picking the black shirt with his last name and UNSC logo on it off the floor halfway across the room.

"WHAT IS ALL THE YELLING ABOUT!?" Weiss yelled coming through the door.

As the door flew open it hit Ashton in the back of the head. He could feel the black closing in around his vision from being hit in the head for the third time.

"God dammit." He muttered as he passed out onto the floor.

**UNSC Infinity in orbit over Balaho**

General Cato and Lieutenant Murray stepped off the D79H-TC Pelican inside one of the Infinitys hangars.

"So instead of keeping me in the dark here Lieutenant, Why don't you tell me how you plan to retrieve these troopers and why you need me to come to the Infinity?"

"In due time General, Please come with me. There is someone for you to meet." The lieutenant said prompting him to follow her to the other end of the hangar where a door slid open to reveal Captain Del Rio.

"Ah, General Cato. Welcome aboard the Infinity, Sir. It's good to meet you."

"Pleasures all mine, Captain. Is this who you wanted me to meet, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Why is that?"

"Because for this little operation of mine to work it requires the cooperation of Infinity and your Marines, General. I've already informed Captain Del Rio of his part of the plan. If you'll come with us to the combat information center we can discuss this further."

"Of course." General Cato replied following the two of them.

**UNSC Infinity, Combat Information Center, Fifteen minutes later**

"Welcome to the combat information center." Came a voice from nowhere as all three of them entered.

General Cato looked puzzled while Captain Del Rio and Lieutenant Murray proceeded like it was nothing.

"Oh I am sorry to have startled you, General. I am Aine Infinitys shipboard AI."

"Enough with the introductions Aine, We need to get down to business. Pull up the recent scans of the tear sector over Balaho."

"Yes, Ma'am." Aine replied as an image of the planet showed up over the table in front of them zooming onto the section of the planet where the ODSTs of the First Recon Battalion were dropped. A section was highlighted in red.

"This is what we believe the extent of the tear is from where ODSTs that went missing were supposed to land to about here. They only started landing safely out around here." The lieutenant said as she pointed out areas.

"It looks nearly big enough for Infinity to dive headlong into it." General Cato commented.

"That's because it almost is. . .almost. But luckily it isn't, That's the last thing the UNSC needs is to lose our biggest warship to some unknown force."

"It can't suck objects in correct?"

"As far as we can tell, No the tears do not suck objects into them. Things have to be launched manually into them such as the SOEIVs or the Apollo. They also appear to be completely two dimensional or flat as we have scientific crews on the surface below it."

"So where do me and my Marines come into play with this operation, Lieutenant?"

"Well, Sir. For us to enact our part of the plan we need your Marines to finish the battle here."

"Well that was our plan from the beginning Lieutenant, I don't see how you could assume our plan was to draw this battle out."

"That's not it, Sir. We need you to eliminate the Covenant forces in the area once and for all so we can divert more power to our operations with the retrieval of the troopers. What we need you to do is this. Aine pull up the recent intel from the UNSC Nightcrawler."

"Yes, Ma'am." The AI responded bringing up images of a Covenant fleet.

"This is what we need you to deal with, General."

"Wouldn't the Infinity be able to deal with a few ships?"

"Indeed it would be, but we don't need them destroyed."

"Then. . . "

"We need them captured, General. Your Marines are just the men for the job."

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 15th -, Beacon Academy, Remnant**

Ashton slowly regained consciousness but was met with the same darkness he had passed out with, The first rays of sunlight were just shining in from around the curtain in the middle of the room. He found himself laying in between the bunkbeds, Someone had thrown a blanket over him and placed a pillow under his head. He felt relaxed for a moment before turning his head to the right to find a pair of icy blue eyes staring at him. He let out a small gasp of shock not expecting it.

"You scared the crap out of me!" Ashton hissed at Weiss who was staring at him from her bed.

"You talk in your sleep." Weiss said acting as if nothing had just happened.

"Okay. . . .why are you up so early and staring at me though?"

"What's a Covvie?"

"Huh?"

"That's all you kept muttering was: "Die Covvie!" and "Glass this!" over and over. You don't seem to sleep well." She said in a serious tone.

"What's it matter to you?"

"Nothing, Nothing. Look. . .we're gonna have to get up soon anyway. We have today off since it's a Sunday."

"So?"

"So to make it up for being so mean to you recently. . .and for knocking you out. . .come with me to breakfast."

"Uh. . ."

"Just do it!" Weiss hissed.

"Okay! Jeez I'll come, But I need to get dressed."

"Down the hall to the left."

"Huh?"

"You're not getting changed in here, There's a restroom down the hall and to the left."

"Uh. . . .got it." Ashton said picking his ODST uniform off the floor.

Ashton opened the door out into the hall, It was quiet. It must have been pretty early. He found the door to the restroom and opened it, It was empty as he suspected. He paused to look in the mirror, He hadn't taken a good look at himself in a while. He noticed three new cuts on his chin. . .presumably from the engagement in the forest. His hair was also starting to get a little longer than would be permitted in the UNSC grooming standard, But it could wait. He place his left leg up on the wall as he tightened and locked the armor into place. He started to lock the armor into place on his right leg when the door to the room swung open and someone stumbled in.

"Whoa! Who are you?" Came a surprised voice. Ashton turned his head to see a blond kid in footy pajamas. Ashton gave him the once over and turned his focus back on getting dressed, He moved on to his chest piece.

"Those are uh. . . .some cool clothes you got there. . .you a new student?" The boy continued to persist with the questions. Ashton locked his left shoulder piece into place.

"You don't like to talk much do you?"

"No. . ." Ashton finally responded.

"Well, Look at that I finally got a response. So I'll ask again, Are you a new student?"

"I'm new but. . . I wouldn't exactly call myself a student." Ashton said strapping on his final piece of armor.

"Some kind of teacher then?"

"Ahahaha, No."

"Well, I'm Jaune, Nice to meet you. . .?"

"Ashton."

"Nice to meet you Ashton." Jaune said sticking his hand out.

"Likewise."

"OW! You've got a really firm handshake, Don't you?"

"Eh, Sorry." Ashton responded as Jaune held his right hand in pain.

"No, Don't worry. My mom always said you could trust someone if they gave a firm handshake." Jaune stated matter of factly as Ashton pushed past him for the door.

"See ya."

"Oh, Bye. See you lat- Nevermind." Jaune said as the door swung shut behind Ashton.

**UNSC Cerberus in orbit over Balaho, Briefing room**

"So just so we're all clear on this, There will be NO fuck ups, You stick to the plan no matter what." General Cato said addressing his unit commanders on the plan to hijack a Covenant flagship.

"Yes, Sir."

"Infinity and a portion of the fleet will move in to support you, The ODSTs will deploy onto the ship first. They will proceed to secure a hangar and we can get the rest of the troops inside. Remember Marines, You're not blowing this ship up. We need it in as good a shape as possible for the rest of our plan to be a success. This will be no small task, The Covenant will most likely try and destroy the ship with you inside of it. Make sure you secure the bridge and engine rooms as quickly as possible to prevent this. Questions?"

"Sir, Why does ONI need this Covenant ship?"

"What's this plan that so desperately requires a Covenant assault carrier?"

"If I could tell you boys I would, But ONI is keeping me in the dark here just as much as you. They asked for the best Marines I had and that's what I'm providing. Dismissed we move in two hours."

"Dismissed, Aye aye, Sir." All the officers responded leaving the room and General Cato by himself.

"Done addressing your men, General?" Lieutenant Murray asked as an image of her popped up on a screen next to General Cato.

"Yes, Lieutenant. But if you would stop leaving me in the dark here so I could better inform them I feel they would be more willing to go on a suicide mission like this."

"It's not a suicide mission, General. A similar job was pulled during the battle of Reach. UNSC personnel got aboard and hijacked a Covenant ship."

"Correct me if I'm wrong. But didn't they blow that ship up?"

"They did."

"Also, Wasn't there only one survivor?"

"Well. . .yes."

"Then it IS a suicide mission, Lieutenant. I don't have a problem ordering one. But I want to be able to inform my men as much as possible to minimize casualties. I mean I get it, we're officers, we have to order men to their deaths every now and then. But giving me intel for my men that basically provides us no intel at all is going to cost more lives than necessary."

"General, This entire operation is based off of a need to know basis, ONI has deemed this the extent of your need to know as of now. I know you've been looking into this as much as possible, But I'm going to ask you to stop. But for the trouble you're going through with this. . .I have something that might interest you." Lieutenant Murray said as a file was sent to General Cato.

"What's this?" He asked.

"Read it. . .and find out."

**Weiss Schnee, July 15th -, Beacon Academy, Remnant**

"Took you long enough." Weiss greeted Ashton.

"Well, If I wasn't forced to go eat with someone you wouldn't have had to wait at all."

"Hmph, You should take it as an honor that I offered to accompany you. Being as prestigious a person as I am."

"Oh, My apologies your majesty. Shall I bow down before thee and beg for forgiveness." Ashton joked as they walked

"Don't mock me, It will only end badly."

"Last time you threatened me, If I recall correctly, It ended with you complaining of being near deaf and almost having a broken leg."

"Well, Without me you would have no idea where to go to eat."

"I think I could manage."

They exited the dormitory building out into the fresh air.

"Also, Don't you have anything else to wear? You look dressed to kill someone."

"I kinda am. This is a battle uniform. I wasn't exactly meant for a friendly visit when I showed up."

"Oh right. . .you did say you were a big tough army man or something."

"Army? Fuck that."

Weiss looked at him shocked at how easily he threw around vulgar language.

"Don't you have a sense of decency?"

"What do you mean?"

"You just throw around language like that as if it's nothing!" She protested.

"Well. . .yeah. Where i'm from that's just part of the language. Getting your ass shot at on the daily does that to you." He said as the entered a building.

"Still. . .aren't you in an army anyway? What's so offensive about the word army to you?"

"Because I'm not in the army, I'm a Marine. Meaning I'm in the Marines, The Army ain't got shit on the Marines."

"I'm not even going to try and understand this. . .just please stop. . .or atleast try to restrain yourself with the vulgarity."

Ashton let out a sigh as they grabbed food trays and grabbed something to eat.

"So why did you really drag me out here?" Ashton asked.

"Hmm?"

"Look, I can tell you don't actually feel bad about knocking me out, Nor do you want to make anything up. The entire conversation out of you so far has been rather. . .forced. So cut to the chase. What do you want?"

"UNSC." She said taking out a nail file.

"Huh?"

"Let's start from there, Tell me what the UNSC is?"

"Didn't I explain the other night?"

"Just start from there, With the UNSC." She said as she started filing her nails.

"It's the United Nations Space Command, It's basically the military for the UEG or United Earth Government."

"And ODST?"

"Didn't I explain this?"

"Just go on, Explain again."

"Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, The primary special operations force for the UNSC Marine Corps. Marines that specify in being inserted from orbit via SOEIV pods." Ashton said with a sigh at having to re explain himself.

"Now. . .what's a Covvie?"

"It's short for Covenant."

"Covenant?"

"An alliance of alien species hell bent on destroying humanity because their religion dictates it or something, I could care less. All I know is they tried to wipe us all out."

"Tried?"

"Yeah, After losing a war for thirty something years we turned that tables on them and started kicking their asses instead. We were making a push on one of the species homeworlds when I ended up here. So instead of exterminating a shitty alien lifeform from existence I'm sitting here having breakfast with you."

"WOW, You're like a sci-fi hero from a movie or a video game!" Ruby said from behind him.

"Holy shit! Don't scare me like that. I swear you people are going to give a heart att- Oh fuck. . . .you again." Ashton said as he turned around to be met with not only Ruby but Goodwitch as well.

"Language." Weiss said from behind him.

"Fuck off." He responded taking a bite from a breakfast roll.

"If you're done bickering, The feeling is mutual. Professor Ozpin has requested you come speak to him. . . .now." Goodwitch said rolling her eyes.

"Of course, This is the end of our little chat then. Good day, Or whatever you fancy people say." Ashton said with a mock bow before turning to follow the two. The mix of anger, embarrassment, and confusion made the normally pale skin of Weiss start to turn a shade of red.

"So you've met the headmaster before?" Ruby asked as they walked to meet with Professor Ozpin.

"Yeah, The other day him and uh. . .the warden here interrogated me upon regaining consciousness. Why do I have to go meet with him anyway?"

"The footage on your helmet." Goodwitch replied, Annoyed with being referred to as a warden.

"Ah, You've watched it then?"

"Some of it."

"And? Do you finally trust me?"

"Trust you? No. But I am forced to believe your story because of what I have seen. . .for now."

"What are you guys talking about?" Ruby asked.

"Oh don't worry young lady, You'll see soon enough."

**UNSC battle group on intercept with Covenant fleet, UNSC Infinity, Combat Information Center**

"This is it then, Everything is set?" General Cato asked communicating with Captain Del Rio from the Cerberus.

"All ships are in position, We can commence the attack the moment they're in range. We'll have the Stridents move in and deploy the ODSTs, From there the rest of the plan should go accordingly." Captain Del Rio responded.

"First enemy ships will be in range in five. . .four. . .three. . .two. . .one."

"Engage. Fire MAC guns and follow up with a missile barrage." Del Rio said into his communication device.

"Aye aye, Sir." Aine responded as the MAC guns of Infinity and the other ships let their 600-ton ferric-tungsten rounds rip into various battlecruisers escorting their primary target an assault carrier. The UNSC ships scattered to avoid the return fire but two Strident-class heavy frigates were focused on and seared in half by the incoming plasma torpedoes. Archer missiles were fired by all the ships, The ones that weren't destroyed by pulse lasers made contact with their targets and brought down their remaining shields or doing minor hull damage to the Covenant ships, Just in time as the next MAC salvo was ready to be fired.

The Stridents' started moving in focusing their MAC fire on the assault carrier to get its shields down, While Infinity and two Autumn-class heavy cruisers, the Cerberus and the Howling Dark stayed back finishing off the battlecruisers with their MAC guns. Infinity placed a shot clean through one battle cruiser, causing severe damage and for it to slowly collide into another battlecruiser nearby. The Stridents' concentrated MAC fire broke the assault carriers energy shielding and damaged its hull. They moved into position to drop their SOEIVs, The darkness was clearly lit up with the fire from all the ships 50 millimeter point defense weapons system fire shooting at all the Covenant Seraph fighters and boarding craft. General Cato watched on his screen as the SOEIVs were launched into a section of the hull on the assault carrier weakened by the MAC fire and missile strikes.

"Now we wait." Del Rio commented.

"Shouldn't take long, Those are some of the best ODSTs the 22nd Shock Troops division can offer."

"Are the rest of your Marines ready to go?"

"Aye, All of the strike teams are ready to go, Pelican engines are hot, Just need the hangar opened and we're in busine-" General Cato's signal was cut off.

"Well. . .that shouldn't have happened." Lieutenant Murray commented from her seat.

"Aine, Pull up visual on the Cer-" Captain Del Rio was cut off by Aine who had already checked.

"Cerberus has been boarded by three craft that got past the point defense network. Communications have been jammed but should be regained shortly."

"Shortly? Give me a timescale here Aine."

"In about ten seconds." Aine said as General Cato came back on screen shortly after. An alarm could be heard and there was a red flashing light behind him, He was loading a magazine into a pistol and cocking it.

"General?" Lieutenant Murray asked.

"What is it?" He responded as two Marines entered the room where he was and stood by the door.

"Can you handle the situation?"

"For now. . .but we're moving the strike teams just in case, I'll have them stick close to Infinity." He said while an explosion shook from somewhere in the ship.

"We'll send a detatchment of SPARTAN-IVs to help, Aine get Commander Pal-"

"Already here, Sir." Commander Palmer said entering the room.

"Get a group togeth-" Captain Del Rio started to say but was cut off again.

"Already have, We're just waiting on your go, Sir."

"Well, Then by all means, GO!"

"Aye aye, Sir." Commander Palmer said putting on her helmet and exiting the room.

"Spartans. . .always quick to react."

"That's a bad thing?" Lieutenant Murray asked.

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 15th -, Beacon Academy, Remnant**

"Ah good morning, Young man." Professor Ozpin greeted Ashton as he, Ruby, and Goodwitch entered the room. Ashton noted they were not the only ones, There were plenty of other people in the room all seated in chairs at a long table. . .there was even the blond kid from before. . .whatever his name was, Ashton couldn't remember as he hadn't made that big of an impact on him.

"When you said you wanted to talk, I didn't realise we would have an audience." Ashton commented.

"Well, Don't worry they aren't just random students here, They're team leaders and they should see what you and I will be discussing."

"You're a fireteam leader?" Ashton looked quizzically at Ruby.

"Fireteam?" She cocked her head sideways.

"Nevermind."

"Ms Rose if you'll take your seat." Professor Ozpin asked as a screen came up.

Ruby walked happily over to her seat next to that blond kid Ashton still couldn't remember the name of.

"Now, All of you are here today to meet this young man. As Hunters and Huntresses in training you are trying to become defenders of our world from evil. . . .many of you have not met him before, But this young man is not of our world, Literally and figuratively." Ozpin paused to sip his coffee.

"This is Corporal Ashton Dommer of the UNSC, Now I could sit here explaining the story he explained to me about how he is a. . .space Arm-" Ozpin was cut off by Goodwitch signalling him not to say the word 'Army'. He shot her a quizzical look. He watched her try to mouth something to him but moved on.

"As I was saying, About how he is a soldier from space. From a different world where aliens have tried to exterminate humanity. I could sit here all day and try and explain to all of you and try to have you believe. But instead, I can give you all video proof provided to me by him. I wouldn't have had all of you come here this early to view this if I hadn't thought it was serious, Keep that in mind, I've watched most of the files they're bloody and violent and depict such horrors none of us should ever have to face. But it depicts a very real threat, A threat this young man has faced before. He will be attending Beacon from now on, I think you all can learn from watching this though. Anything in particular you would like them to see?" Ozpin asked turning towards Ashton.

"Hmm. . .Look for the file dated six months ago." Ashton said pausing to think.

A screen popped up and Professor Ozpin scrolled around for awhile before pulling up a file.

"This one?"

"Yes, That's the one."

The screen went black for a moment and the lights in the room before in big white letters on the screen came the message on screen.

**DECLASSIFIED BY OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, 22nd SHOCK TROOPS DIVISION, NIGHTMARE COMPANY, ENGAGED AT ONI RESEARCH FACILITY ON MOON XG98**

"**Yo man, I can totally wreck the Covvies! I just need the chance!" A Hispanic voice came from someone on screen as everyone watched, The saw the owner of the voice a young guy that couldn't be older than twenty in an outfit similar to Ashtons, He held a weapon in one hand and a helmet in the other.**

"**Shut the fuck up, Boot. Why're you even up here? Weren't you told to go help with the MG?" Another voice said, The camera turned to see another guy in the same outfit sitting on the floor at roughly the same level of the camera.**

"**Look. . .Garcia, Right? Honestly just shut the fuck up and get outta here, You don't belong up here and we both know it. This is called a snipers nest for a reason, Because the sniper. . .me. Is up here, I don't need more distractions than necessary so honestly just get the fuck out." A third voice came but there was no one else in the little perch so everyone assumed it was whoever had the camera.**

**The young hispanic guy started to say something as he left but changed his mind and continued on down.**

"**Ashton, Why you gotta wear your helmet all the time? We ain't getting shot at." The second guy asked again,**

"**Jake, You know I do it for good luck. Plus it's less time I have to spend getting my aiming interface up."**

"**That's all it comes down to with you, Man. Kill faster, Kill efficient, Kill this, Kill that."**

"**Eat, Sleep, Kill. That's why we exist ain't it?"**

"**Aw, Don't get all spiritual on me, Man. Leave that shit to Sarge."**

"**Someone say my name?" Another person said climbing up into the perch.**

"**Sarge, Why're you up here?" Jake asked.**

"**Well, Because my communications specialist decides he wants to sit up here with my designated marksman instead of down on the line with everyone else, that's why."**

"**You know why I don't like being down with everyone else, We just got all those fuckin' boots and they're annoying as hell."**

"**Speaking of boots, I passed uh. . .Garcia or whatever his name was on the way up here, Looked pretty depressed. What'd you tell him?"**

"**The truth." Ashton responded.**

"**Huh?"**

"**Kid, Said he was a Covvie killer and that he could wreck 'em if he got the chance."**

"**Motherfucker hasn't even been on one deployment and is making himself out to be a killer, Thinks he can plop his ass up here like he's the hottest shit on the block." Ashton said turning his head and revealing on the camera a crater filled wasteland in front of them. About a kilometer away there were more structures.**

"**Why do we gotta be sittin' here defending this ONI bullshit anyway? We're a special forces unit, Our talent is being wasted defending some research station. This is a job for the regular infantry." Jake remarked, Tossing a cigarette he had been taking puffs of to the ground below with a flick.**

"**Well, Lance Corporal. We were able to get here the fastest and we wouldn't want ONI to lose all of their forerunner toys they have. . .would we?"**

"**He's got a point Sarge, We are infantry but we're the bad-fucking-ass version of the infantry. They're wasting our talent with this."**

"**Ashton, I don't see why you're complaining you hate to work. You get to sit here and guard a fuckin' rock. Easy pay, But the Covvies can still attack at any-" An explosion went off in the distance.**

"**Minute." Jake finished the sentence as he popped on his helmet.**

"**Well, Looks like we got work to do, Try not to go full psycho this time, Psycho. Didn't leave anything for the rest of us to kill last time." Sarge said dropping back down out of the snipers nest.**

"**Yeah man, You're a fucking psychopath." Jake commented as he loaded a magazine into his M7S.**

"**Can't help it, I kill ugly fuckin' aliens and I kill good. . .sue me." Ashton returned the banter as he linked with the scope of his SRS and watched as the defensive positions to their front were engulfed with plasma mortar fire.**

**The barrage lasted a short while before the sounds of gunfire kicked in as two Covenant Banshees could be seen diving at the position. There were some gasps of awe as the students watching the video viewed the alien aircraft in action. The fire from an M12 FAVs M41 LAAG kicked in and the students watched as the tracer rounds ripped through the Banshee setting it aflame.**

"**Never gets old." Jake commented as the wreck collided with the ground in a purple fireball. The other Banshee came around and shot off a round from its fuel rod cannon destroying the M12 instantly.**

"**And here comes the ground attack." Ashton commented as he watched through his scope. The position was clearly under plasma fire now and was slowly being engulfed with smoke from all the gunfire. A Ghost broke through the defensive barriers and turned itself around to fire on the ODSTs at the first defensive position. Ashton lined up the shot with the rear of the Ghost, He could just see the rear of an Unggoy's head and methane tank.**

"**Sir, I have a shot. Permission to engage?" Ashton asked his platoon leader over his built in communication device.**

"**Cleared hot Marine, Light 'em up."**

**Ashton applied the small amount of pressure to the trigger and let the 14.5 x 114 millimeter AP-FS-DS round soar through the air and rip through the Unggoy's methane tank sending the creatures dead body flying out of the cockpit of the Ghost.**

**[A/N: AP-FS-DS = Armor Piercing, Fin Stabilized, Discarding Sabot]**

**The sounds of gunfire slowly subsided, Revealing the grim fact that it was too late and the first defensive position was overrun.**

"**Incoming!" Jake yelled looking up as a plasma mortar round seared overhead landing a few hundred meters to their rear.**

"**We in the middle of it now, Marines! Loooooove this fuckin' shiiiit!" Someone yelled walking down the defensive line as another plasma mortar round landed close, They were about to be zeroed in.**

"**There goes Gunny. . .being Gunny." Ashton commented looking away to watch him walk down the defensive line, Breaking the link with his scope."**

"**He's fuckin' moto as hell in any situation. . .as usual." Jake commented.**

**Ashton took note of some movement off to their right and moved his rifle, He looked through the scope to see a squad of Jackals flanking them. There was an uproar of hushed whispers from the students watching the footage as they got a close-up look at an alien. Ashton lined up his sight with ones head and let the bullet rip sending a stream of purple blood into the air. The other ones were quick to react, Taking cover immediately, They would pop up every now and then to take potshots before ducking back down from Ashtons return fire. Machinegun fire could be heard kicking up in the background as an M41 LAAG started engaging Covenant ground forces.**

"**Jesus. . .there's so many." Jake said as Ashton put a shot into a Jackals shoulder. Ashton looked up to see the large infantry force headed their way. The students watching just looked on in stunned silence at the massive force coming straight at them. They took note of all the different kinds of aliens on screen. Big and small, Some of them were on foot and others in vehicles. A large ape-like creature with an ornate headpiece wielded a giant hammer and seemed to be commanding the others. Vehicles roared to the front of the formation, Vehicles that appeared to only have one giant wheel at the front piloted by the ape-like creatures.**

"**Oh yes, Now the fun begins." Ashton commented as he let a round rip into the final Jackal and began reloading. All the ODSTs opened fire causing a near deafening roar. The vehicles with the giant wheel were closing in fast though.**

"**Psycho, Focus fire on those Choppers." Sarge Chang said over the communications.**

**Ashton loaded in a fresh magazine and lined up another shot, He carefully waited for just the right time as the Chopper hit a bump, Causing the drivers head to rise a little, before sending the round right between the Brutes eyes. The Chopper along with it's newly dead driver flipped and crashed into another. The others opened up with their 35 millimeter autocannons causing one Marine to scream out as he was nailed in the chest and killed instantly. Ashton ducked down as his protective barrier was raked with fire. The rest of the Covenant forces were in range now and opened up with their plasma weapons. Ashton let out a grunt as he peaked his head up and almost had a searing hot bolt of plasma hit him in the face.**

"**Cover's about to get ropy, Should we bug out to a better position?" Jake asked as a bolt of plasma melted a bit of the concrete protecting them**

"**Just. . .hold on." Ashton said as he leaned up again and took aim. Jake fired some rounds from his M7S. Ashton fired another shot at one of the Choppers but it was ineffective and the Chopper burst through their defensive line, Crushing several ODSTs in the process. Ashton swung his rifle around and adjusted his position to line up another shot on the Choppers driver but by the time he fired and mortally wounded the Brute it had already cut down three more troopers. Someone with an M41 Surface-to-Surface rocket launcher fired causing a Ghost to explode into a ball of fire.**

"**We need to move, Now!" Jake yelled looking up and diving out of the snipers nest, Ashton looked up to see what he was yelling about and saw a plasma mortar coming down directly on their position. He dived out at the last possible second, The explosion threw him into the ground hard. There were loud pops as the ammunition in a destroyed M12 started cooking off. The Covenant forces were directly on top of their position now. Ashton drew his M7S and planted a few rounds into a Jackal that jumped over the barrier. Jake came up next to him and cut down an Unggoy that had been running at them with an overcharged plasma pistol.**

"**Where's Chang?"**

"**He's at the other end of the line! He's helping Doc secure the wounded, Let's move to him!" Jake yelled shooting another Jackal that jumped over the barrier unaware of their presence. They took off running from cover to cover, Stopping briefly every now and then to give some Covenant infantry the good news.**

"**OH FUCK!" They both yelled as a Brute jumped on top of their position with a loud roar and shot a spike into Jakes leg. Jake emptied the magazine of his M7S into its chest but only stunned it, Ashton tackled it from behind and unsheathed his machete. He brought it down hard on the back of its neck, Not quite severing its head clean off but enough that it wouldn't be getting back up.**

"**You okay!?" Ashton asked frantically sheathing his machete and letting some more bullets rip into another Jackal before lifting Jake back to his feet.**

"**I'll live, Let's go!" Jake said limping.**

"**We're gonna be slowed down 'cuz of that limp."**

"**Then leave me."**

"**Nah, You're not pulling any of that war-movie hero bullshit where you stay behind as a distraction or something on me." Ashton said forcing him into a fireman's carry. Ashton carried him as fast as he could pausing only at times to fire his weapon from the hip. After cutting down an Unggoy Ashton put Jake down to reload his M7S.**

"**You're fuckin' crazy you know that?"**

"**Nah, I'm just Psycho." Ashton said sliding in a new magazine.**

"**Damn right you are, SHIT LOOK OUT!" Jake yelled as a Jackal that had gone unnoticed threw itself on top of Ashton and was attempting to stab him with an energy cutlass. Ashton struggled to keep the pink blade from entering his chest. Another Jackal came over and after kicking his weapons away, Aimed its plasma pistol at Jake and began charging it. The Jackal snapped its jaws trying to bite Ashton to make him falter. After a well placed headbutt though Ashton regained control of the situation and forced the pink blade into the Jackals chest, He kicked the creature away as it let out a small scream before the blade caused its chest to explode. He grabbed the other one by the neck, Causing it to prematurely shoot its plasma pistol into the air, The Jackal surprised its comrade had failed to kill Ashton started kicking and flailing wildly to escape but was stopped shortly after as Ashton brought the blade of his machete down cutting its head clean off.**

"**Holy shit man, I don't know if it's a good thing to have you around or if you cause all the bad shit to happen in the first place." Jake said as Ashton sat there examining the purple blood on his hands and blade. "Ashton. . .Hey Ash. . . .Psycho!" Jake yelled causing Ashton to finally look up.**

"**Hmm?"**

"**Stop spacing out man, Now ain't the time to go psycho, I need normal Ash right now." Jake said as Ashton stood up and retrieved his M7S. "Just get me to Doc and Sarge." Jake said as Ashton put him back in the fireman's carry. Ashton and Jake made their way down the rest of the defensive line with little significant resistance.**

"**Glad you two could make it." Sarge Chang said as Ashton carried Jake into their makeshift defensive position. The navy corpsman immediately came over and examined Jake.**

"**Hold his leg for me, I'm removing the spike." The corpsman asked Ashton, Ashton held Jakes leg to the floor as the corpsman removed it. Jake screamed in pain as it came out and Ashton could see straight through the hole in his leg the bone had been crushed and everything. There were audible noises of disgust from the students watching.**

"**You're such a fuckin' pussy."**

"**Hey! Fuck you asshole. You have a metal spike ripped out of your leg with no painkiller 'cuz we're all out."**

"**If the lovely couple would shut the fuck up that'd be great. Psycho, Get over here for a second." Sarge Chang said.**

"**What's up?"**

"**Take a look at this." Sarge Chang said as he handed Ashton his BR55. "You seein' what I'm seein'?" He asked as Ashton took a look through the scope.**

"**If you're seeing a big angry Brute headed this way with a fuckin' hammer, Then yeah I see what you see." Ashton said as Spiker fire peppered their position, He and Sarge ducked down just in time.**

"**Fuck, I don't get paid enough for this shit." Sarge Chang muttered.**

"**They PAY you?!" Ashton joked trying to lighten the mood.**

"**Friendly coming in!" Someone yelled as they approached the position.**

"**That sounded like the Boot."**

"**It IS the Boot." Jake said leaning up to look over the cover he was behind, The corpsman had injected biofoam into his wound.**

"**Boot! Keep your ass over there! Covvies got us pinned in here!" Sarge Chang yelled as the Boot tried to approach their position.**

"**What should we do? He tries to come over here he's gonna get shot up, He stays out there he's' gonna get shot up." Jake said.**

"**If we lay down some very dense suppressive fire he can probably make it." Ashton noted as three spikes planted themselves in the wall above him.**

"**Alright, Let's kick it then. THREE. . .TWO. . .ONE, SUPPRESSING!" They all opened up with their automatic weapons nailing a few Covenant as Garcia started running towards their position in a zigzag pattern nearly tripping over himself twice.**

"**What the fuck?" Jake asked laughing as Garcia dived into their position.**

"**BOOT, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?" Sarge Chang yelled ducking back down as plasma fire raked over his head.**

"**What do you mean!? Serpentine, I was running evasively!"**

"**Next time. . .run in a straight line, You'll live longer that way." Ashton said.**

"**Wait. . .anyone got eyes on that Chieftain?" **

"**Negative." Jake said nailing a Jackal.**

"**How the fuck do we lose sight of an eight foot tall Bravo Kilo with a giant hammer?" The corpsman asked.**

"**Dunno and don't care as long as he isn't here, Any updates on that support we called for?"**

"**Nothing, We have to just wait it ou-OH FUCK!" The corpsman yelled as the Brute Chieftain came up with its Gravity Hammer and brought it down barely missing the corpsman as he rolled out of the way.**

"**He's got energy shielding!" Ashton yelled as he sprayed his M7S, Only to have the rounds be deflected. The Chieftain flipped his hammer around to the bladed side and pinned the corpsman into the wall. He let out a bloody shriek as the life drained out of his body.**

"**Fuck it! Go!" Sarge Chang yelled as he opened fire to distract the Chieftain.**

**Garcia exited the structure first, He stopped and turned to cover Ashton as he lifted Jake back up and carried him out. They made their way towards a pile of rubble 400 meters behind their defensive positions. Ashton turned his head just as Chang was crushed under the Chieftains Gravity Hammer.**

"**What the fuck are we gonna do man!?" Garcia yelled as they dropped behind the rubble. "Defensive positions are compromised! We're the last three left between here and the research station! We're fucked!"**

"**Boot, Shut the fuck up! You think I don't know that!?"**

"**Well what the fuck are we gonna do!?" Garcia had lost his helmet sometime during the firefight and the fear was clearly visible on the young ODSTs face.**

"**Guys, I got an M12 wreck 600 meters to our rear." Jake said.**

"**Yeah? So?"**

"**Other than the fact it has a messed up wheel, It looks good from here."**

"**So you wanna go for it?" Ashton asked leaning up over some of the rubble and placing a shot into a Grunt that was firing on their position with a Needler.**

"**It's our best bet other than sitting here and dieing."**

"**Alright then, One problem though. . .I can't drive those things for shit."**

"**I can, I just need to get over there." Jake said.**

"**Alright, I'll stay here and provide covering fire. Boot, You run halfway and stop to cover him, He's gonna be a bit slow with his wound. . .But you still stop halfway and cover him."**

"**Got it!" Garcia said enthusiastically as he started to stand up, Ashton dragged him back down as a Spiker round nearly nailed the Boot in the back of he head.**

"**Wait for me to start suppressing them first!"**

"**Alright!"**

"**And one more thing."**

"**What!?"**

"**Run in a straight line this time, Boot." Ashton said patting him on the shoulder before leaning up over the rubble and firing his weapon. Garcia took off running with plasma and spikes soaring over his head.**

"**Set!" Garcia yelled after running 300 meters and dropping into a prone position to fire his weapon.**

"**Ready?"**

"**Yes, I'm ready you fuckin' psychopath."**

"**Go!"**

"**Bounding!" Jake yelled as he crouched low to avoid incoming fire while limping. Ashton and Garcia focused fire on a Brute killing it quickly and causing the Jackals near it to scatter.**

"**Set!" Jake yelled diving into a prone position where Garcia was.**

"**Bounding!" Garcia yelled as he took off running for the M12.**

**Jake nailed a Jackal by shooting under its energy shield, As the creature fell over Jake planted another three rounds into its head. The Brute Chieftain came out of the structure they were in only moments ago. All the Covenant infantry stopped firing their weapons as the Chieftain stepped forward. Jake took this as an opportunity and limped for the M12 after Garcia said he was set. Ashton sat there behind what was left of his cover and watched as the Chieftain held something up in its hand. Ashton couldn't make out what it was at first but quickly realised. . .it was a severed human head. The Chieftain let out a long and loud roar, The members of its pack did the same. Even some of the Grunts tried imitating the howling roar. The Chieftain threw the head in Ashtons direction, It landed a few meters in front of his position. The Brute planted its hammer in the ground and stood there for a moment.**

"**What's the status of the vehicle?" Ashton asked over comms.**

"**It'll take me like. . .five. . .ten minutes tops to get it working. Not major damage. . .but enough it'll take some time." Jake responded.**

"**Rog." Ashton said focusing on the Chieftain just standing there.**

"**IMP!" The Chieftain finally spoke in a loud voice.**

**Ashton watched in interest from his position.**

"**You have fought well and brave. . .come out and face the inevitable fate of your species." It continued as it removed its headpiece and deactivated its energy shielding.**

**Ashton stood up and threw his M7S to the ground.**

"**What're you doing!? Ash! Ash!? Psycho! Come on you fucking psychopath, Talk to me!" Jake yelled into his comms.**

"**Buying you the time you need, Get that vehicle working." Ashton responded in a monotone voice.**

**Ashton stepped forward and drew his machete.**

"**I have no need of your values of honor on the battlefield, Imp. We will all make the great journey. . .but you and your kind will perish and be left behind." The Chieftain said, Ashton responded only by raising his blade. One of the Chieftains pack members raised his Spiker but the Chieftain placed a hand on its chest and barked something. The Chieftain picked its hammer up and stepped forward. "Very well, Imp. Die with this honor you so crave." The Chieftain said charging forward swinging its hammer. Ashton rolled to the side barely dodging the gravity manipulating blow. He took a slash at the Chieftains arms before jumping back again as the hammer was swung around again.**

"**Get out of there Psycho! You're not a fucking spartan!"**

**Ashton ignored Jake over the comms and took another slash with his machete giving the Chieftain a big gash on its arm, The Chieftain hit him with the back of its arm sending him to the ground. The Chieftain picked him up and snarled in his face before beginning to crush the life out of him. Ashtons HUD showed that he was beginning to suffer from internal bleeding and that some of his ribs were on the verge of breaking. Ashtons head started to droop as he was losing consciousness.**

**HOOOOONNNNKKKK!**

**The Chieftain diverted his attention at the loud noise and was met with an M12 FAV to the face as Jake hit him with the vehicle.**

"**Can I park here?" Jake said in a nonchalant manner as Garcia opened fire with his MA5.**

"**Helluva time to step in." Ashton said getting back to his feet with a wince.**

"**What happened to not being the war movie hero, Eh?"**

"**Hey, I bought you enough time without them shooting at you, Right?"**

**The Chieftain struggled under the vehicle and tried to push it off.**

"**Get on the LAAG and let's get out of here." Jake said leaning his M6S out of his side of the vehicle and taking some shots at the infantry.**

**Ashton climbed up on to the M41 LAAG and the Jake reversed the M12 off of the Chieftain. The Chieftain let out a loud snarl as Ashton spooled up the barrels of the LAAG and was about to blow the Chieftain away when its head exploded. There was a deafening roar as a D77H-TCI Pelican gunship and two AV-14 Attack VTOLs hovered overhead decimating the remainder of the Covenant infantry force.**

"**Dammit. . .that was my kill." Ashton said hitting his fist on the guns protective shield.**

"**So. . . .we're alive." Garcia said dropping his rifle and sighing from exhaustion.**

"**Sure as hell we are, Boot."**

"**Can you guys. . .stop calling me Boot."**

"**Well, I was about to. But then you asked. . .Boot." Ashton said as he removed his helmet and the video recording cut.**

Ashton looked at the students sitting in front of him, Not surprised that most had on looks of disgust or fear,

"Well, I think that was all the proof any of you needed to believe this young man. That's the kind of threat he has fought. He will be attending this academy and will also be able to answer any of your questions about anything you saw in that footage. You're all dismissed, Enjoy the rest of your day. Mister Dommer, Stay after and we can talk in private." Professor Ozpin said taking a sip of his coffee.

Ashton leaned on the wall as the students filed out, All of them stared at him some with fear in their eyes. . .others with suspicion. Ruby however ran straight up to him and practically squeezed the air out of his lungs. He heard one mutter that he was a monster.

"That was amazing! You're like a real movie hero! Or a sci-fi character! You totally kicked those things butts! Oh, All those weapons! They looked so cool! The snipers, Rifles, Blades, Machineguns! Those big helicopter things at the end came in like 'atatatatatatatatata'! Blew all the aliens to kingdom come! It was awesome!" She said with the biggest smile on her face, Barely paused to catch her breath too.

"Miss Rose. . .you stay too."

"So what now?" Ashton asked now that the only ones in the room were the professor, Goodwitch, Ruby, and him.

"You will be given your own room, Today. A school uniform will also be provided to you for attending classes. . .starting tomorrow."

"What? School? Professor I did my time in school, It was so terrible that I got out as soon as I could and became a UNSC Marine" Ashton said with a chuckle.

"Nevertheless. To stay here you will attend classes and pass. I can assure you it is not all bookwork like you are thinking. This is an academy for training warriors after all."

"Why did you have me stay here, Professor?" Ruby asked.

"I'm giving the two of you a choice. This young man here can be a fifth member of your team or he can operate independently."

"Awesome! We can be team RWBYA. . .or maybe RWBAY. . .yeah that works!" Ruby said enthusiastically.

"I'll operate independently." Ashton said, Instantly crushing the look of enthusiasm and happiness on Ruby's face.

"What! Come on! Why not!?"

"You were here and saw the video didn't you? As a sniper I like to operate with the least amount of distractions possible. Having anything from one to four teenage girls at any given time to work with is an unnecessary distraction."

"Come on! It would be so cool to have a spaceman on our team! We don't carry that much more supplies than you so we wouldn't take up that much space in your snipers nest or whatever or be too distracting!"

"Speaking of supplies, I want to go back to that forest, Professor." Ashton said turning his attention back to the professor.

"Why is that?"

"ODSTs drop in with pods that contain extra supplies. Ammunition, Weapons, Fuel, Rations, Etcetera. I would like to retreive some of these to better equip and arm myself."

"Alright, But you'll need an escort. Team RWBY will accompany you." The professor said immediately lighting up Ruby's face with joy.

"Escort? Professor I am a highly trained special forces operative. I don't need an escort."

"A highly trained special forces operative, Whom the last time was in that forest nearly had his arm ripped off and was stabbed almost completely through the chest. You'll have an escort. Besides, Maybe this can decide if you operate independently or as part of a team." The professor remarked

Ashton looked at Ruby who had the biggest smile on her face and back to the professor.

"Fine. . ." Ashton muttered. To which Ruby practically jumped for joy as they left the room.

Professor Ozpin shook his head and chuckled as they left the room.

"He's just going to end up being a problem, Or getting himself killed." Goodwitch said.

"Or perhaps, He's the solution we need." Professor Ozpin responded as he looked down at his scroll there was a new message.

Destruction from above. For the angel of death has descended from the heavens and leaves ashes in his wake.

\- N/A

Professor Ozpin sat there for a moment. . .puzzled at how someone sent him a message without a name being registered. . .or what the message meant. But he closed his scroll and bid his trusted co worker adieu as he had business to attend to regarding this newest arrival.

**A/N: Chapter two done, Happy Easter if you celebrate it. I've gone back and fixed some of my mistakes in the first chapter. Now this chapter took a bit longer than expected as I lengthened some bits and adding in parts that were originally part of the next chapter. Effectively doubling the length of this one. Anyway, Here you guys go and enjoy! **


	3. Act 1, Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Halo they are respectively owned by Rooster Teeth and 343 Industries.**

(Text / Speech)

**(Flashbacks / Author notes/ Video recordings)**

_(Thoughts)_

**Chapter 3: Normality?**

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 15th -, Beacon Academy, Remnant**

"Remind me again why we're out here?" Weiss demanded.

"Because Professor Ozpin said we have to escort him through the forest." Yang said rolling her eyes.

"Ah, So it was a stupid reason and i'm not just imagining it." Weiss said as team RWBY conversed amongst themselves. Ashton was leaning against a wall examining his M7S, He left his SRS99D behind as he planned on carrying some heavy gear out of the forest.

"It's not a stupid reason, I think the professor was absolutely right in his decision to have us escort him." Ruby said.

"Weiss has a point though, This is our day off and there are plenty of things I would rather be doing right now than going on an escort mission. . .besides he's capable and can handle himself." Yang said.

"It will be interesting to see how he operates though." Blake said looking up from a book she had in her hand.

"I suppose. I would like to see how those weapons work, I've been figuring out as much as I can." Weiss said.

"His weapons work just like normal weapons. I saw what they could do, Just normal bullets." Ruby said nonchalantly.

"You saw him use his weapons? When!?" Weiss demanded.

"Earlier, The headmaster had all the team leaders gather. He showed us combat footage of Ashton."

"Combat footage! What was it like?" Yang asked.

"It was just him and a bunch of people dressed like him fighting these weird creatures. There were these little short ones that were kinda cute, Then there were these big ones that were all like 'raaawr' and were really strong one even had a giant hammer. There were also these lizard looking ones that had glowing shields."

"That's great, But what happened in the video?"

"They killed them all. A lot of the people dressed like Ashton were killed. But then they ended up killing all the aliens when these this big spaceship with a machinegun on the front of it came in and starting mowing them all down like RATATATATATATATA."

"Aliens?" Blake and Yang asked with a speculative look.

"The Covenant." Weiss said.

"You know what she's talking about?" Blake asked.

"He mentioned it to me earlier this morning. An alliance of aliens who wanted to exterminate the human race from existence. At least that's how he described it to me. I didn't exactly believe. . .but if there is video proof then I can't really say he's lying."

"Did he go into depth about it?"

"No, Blake. He didn't. He seemed like he wasn't very fond of talking about them or the conflict."

"I'll talk to him then." Blake said closing her book and walking off in his direction.

"I'll go too!" Ruby said running after her.

"What do you want?" Ashton asked as she approached him.

"To talk."

"Then talk."

"Maybe take the helmet off? I like to see peoples faces when I talk to them."

Ashton responded by depolarizing his visor, Blake crossed her arms and gave him a stern look. He rolled his eyes and took his helmet off.

"There, Now what do you want."

"Tell me about the Covenant."

"I'm getting real tired of explaining this, But fine." Ashton said with a sigh. "The Covenant are an alliance of alien species who wish to do nothing more than eliminate the human race from the galaxy because their religion deemed us unfit to live or something. They carried out a bloody genocidal war for around thirty years until humanity flipped the tables and we went on the offensive."

"You went on the offensive?"

"Yeah. . .after killing their prophets and repelling their attack on our homeworld we decided to get some payback, Show them what it felt like to be hunted across the galaxy."

"Why pursue them when you could have made peace?"

"Peace? With the Covenant? Trust me that was never a possibility."

"Maybe it was a lack of communication."

"We could communicate just fine, Plenty of them learned human language so they could taunt us in battle."

"But why pursue a war after you had won?"

"I don't make the big decisions, I'm no officer or politician. I'm a grunt. I do as I'm told and shoot anything that isn't human." Upon saying this the expression changed on Blake's face.

"Violence doesn't fix violence. . . ." Her voice trailed off with the rest of the sentence and she looked generally hurt.

"Look! There's our ride! Come on you two, Let's go!" Ruby said trying to break the tension that was building up as the Bullhead VTOL they were going to be riding in landed.

Ashton sighed while adjusting his grip on his M7S, Clearly bored with the argument. He looked at Ruby and then back to Blake before pulling him helmet down on his head and walking off for the Bullhead.

"He doesn't know Blake. . .don't hold it against him." Ruby said.

"I know. . .but when he finds out. . ."

"Then we explain it as best as we can, He won't hurt you."

""He won't hurt me? Ruby, Clearly from the conversation we just had and from the footage you've seen he has nothing but fear and hate for anything that isn't vaguely human."

"Blake. . .we'll make it work out in the end, Come on let's go. The others are already onboard." Ruby said pulling on Blake's arm. Blake looked down at the ground for a moment and then looked back up with a renewed look of confidence on her face.

"Thank you. . .Ruby." Blake said causing a ridiculously huge smile to come across Ruby's face as they climbed aboard the Bullhead. Ashton was sitting on the floor with his legs hanging out the side door while the others were standing.

"Hey. . .sorry it got a bit heated back there. I just got annoyed, It sounded as if you were trying to justify the actions of the Covenant."

"No, I'm so-"

"Don't apologize." Ashton said cutting her off. He started to turn his head around to say something but Weiss grabbed his head and turned it back around that he was looking outside.

"Hey! What the hell was that for!?"

"You're at a low enough level you could look up my or Ruby's skirt. You're not turning your head in here, Stupid perv. . ."

"What the fuck? I am a highly trained, Death dealing, Blood crazed warrior, Who wakes up every day hoping for the chance to dismember my enemies and defile their civilization, Trapped in some world where everything I know has never happened, Do you honestly think the number one priority on my list is looking up some teenage brats skirt?"

"And there goes that rotten mouth again with the vulgarity!" Weiss yelled turning Ashton's head around again. Prompting a few laughs in the process.

**UNSC battle group engaged with Covenant fleet, D79H-TC Pelican en route to Autumn-class heavy cruiser UNSC Cerberus**

"Spartans, The Cerberus has been boarded by a significant Covenant force. Now we're not going to just sit by and watch while we overtake a Covenant ship to just have them take one of ours. So we're going to go in and do what Spartans do best, Kick ass. That clear?" Commander Palmer asked the team of SPARTAN-IVs in front of her as she loaded both of her M6H pistols.

"Yes, Ma'am." Came a chorus of replies followed by the familiar snaps and clicks of automatic weapons being loaded. The Pelican entered the hangar of the Cerberus and immediately opened up with it's twin 70 millimeter autocannons, Cutting down Covenant forces that had pushed their way this far. The rear hatch dropped open and the Spartans rushed out engaging in close quarters combat. Commander Palmer shot a Grunt through the chest before kicking another one to the ground and crushing its head with her boot. Two SPARTAN-IVs with Soldier and CIO variant armor tackled a Brute to the ground, The CIO stabbed it through the had with his combat knife. A Spartan in Warrior armor tossed a grenade up to a walkway causing a few Covenant infantry to go flying.

"Spartans! Keep moving, Hangar is secure but we're not done yet!" Commander Palmer yelled running forward firing both pistols as a door opened allowing more Covenant to pour into the hangar.

**UNSC Cerberus, Bridge**

"God dammit. . ." General Cato muttered as he fired his M6H nailing a Jackal in the head. The two Marines with him were firing their MA5s as fast as they could. The rest of the bridge crew were either unarmed or only had a few magazines for their pistols.

"Sir, Things are looking bleak." One of the Marines said as Spiker rounds impacted the console he was hiding behind.

"Just hold out Marine, Backup should be here soon." General Cato said as he leaned up for a moment the pop a Jackal in the legs so it would fall over. A naval crewmember screamed out as a plasma round impacted his chest and killed him instantly. A spike hit right next to one of the Marines causing him to duck down instead of firing his rifle, When the Marine tried to lean back up to shoot another spike impacted with his head.

"I can't take this anymore!" A naval crewman yelled as he stood up and ran across the room, He couldn't have been more than nineteen, He made it about halfway before a plasma bolt hit dead center in his back and fell to the ground. The incoming fire from the Covenant forces subsided for a moment as they turned around to engage something to their rear.

"General, We're inbound to your location, Hold tight." Commander Palmer's voice came over the communication device in General Cato's ear. As she said that a Jackal jumped on top of General Cato's position. The Jackal let out a loud screeching noise as it shot the last Marine guard with its Needler before jumping on top of the General. General Cato struggled to keep the creatures hands away from his throat as it tried to strangle him, The Jackals jaws kept snapping open and closed it was determined to win at any cost. But then it suddenly stopped, General Cato pushed the corpse off of him to find SPARTAN-IVs standing all around him securing the rest of the bridge.

"Hope we didn't keep you waiting too long, General." Commander Palmer said sticking out a hand to help him up.

"Not at all, Everything is proceeding as planned?"

"The assault has begun, ODSTs got the Covenant hangar open just before we landed. Marines should have made it inside."

"Good."

"We'll continue to clear the immediate area, Retake command of your Marines, General. I'll leave some security with you." Commander Palmer said pointing to two Spartans who silently nodded as she marched off with the rest of the SPARTAN-IVs.

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 15th -, Emerald Forest, Remnant**

"This is us coming up right now." Yang said leaning out of the door of the Bullhead just above Ashton.

"Let's hit it." Ashton responded sliding out of the Bullhead while it was still six feet above the ground, He landed inside a giant dust cloud being kicked up by the engines. He scanned the treeline around him with his M7S as Yang dropped down behind him, Ruby, Weiss, and Blake followed immediately after. They all stood there for a moment while the Bullhead lifted back up into the sky and the dust began to settle. Ashton looked at his motion tracker, Satisfied with the lack of movement around them he waved his hand in a direction and took off at a jogging pace, The others kept up behind him.

"So what are we looking for?" Ruby asked.

"Pods, There should still be pods with extra supplies and stuff, They won't be open."

"What about that one?" Weiss said pointing to one as they ran past one near some trees, The pod was sunken into the ground and tilted at an angle. Ashton slowed down and walked over to it. He placed a hand on the cold metal for a moment before turning to move on.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's no use to us."

"Huh?" Yang said. "But it's a pod. . .and it's not open".

"It's not a supply pod either. . .The braking system on an SOEIV pod can. . .malfunction from time to time resulting in what we call. . .digging your own grave. . ."

"Oh. . . ." All four of them said.

"Let him rest in peace, Let's go." Ashton said with a silent nod. They moved on at a slower pace with Blake trailing behind the others by a few feet.

"So. . .did you know him?" Yang asked.

"Nah. . .he was the designated marksman from another squad but we never talked much. . .still, I tell ya that's the death I fear most, I'd much rather go hand to hand with that bear creature that stabbed me through the other day than be locked in an SOEIV with a broken braking mechanism." He said adjusting his grip on his weapon with a quick shake, There was a clear lack of emotion in his voice as he said it trying to shrug the topic off.

"I found a pod!" Ruby said pointing to another one.

"Good spotting, You could be a sniper." Ashton remarked walking past her to the pod.

"I kind of a-" She started to say but stopped as he had already gone past and was examining the pod.

"Alright bad boy. . .let's get you cracked open, Everyone stand back." He said as he hit something into a keypad and the door of the pod flew into a nearby tree from the force of it being blown off.

"It's a. . . ." Blake started to say.

"Vehicle?" Weiss finished.

"Oh hell yeah it is, M274 Ultra-Light All-Terrain Vehicle." Ashton said as the small four wheeled ATV fell out of the pod.

"The M2 ultra what?" Yang said with a very confused look on her face.

"Mongoose for short, It's a fast little vehicle we us for reconnaissance a lot of the time." Ashton said climbing on top of it and turning the engine on with a low roar.

"So you think you're just going to ditch us by speeding away, huh?" Yang said standing in front of the Mongoose as the headlights turned on.

"Well that wasn't originally the plan. . .but yeah."

"So we were dragged out here just so you could ditch us?" Weiss asked getting annoyed.

"I never asked any of you to come, You were forced to be here as much I was forced to have you here."

"Come on! You said you were okay with this!" Ruby said grabbing at his arm.

"No. . .I recall reluctantly agreeing to have four tails as I swept the forest for supplies."

"Come on! Just trust m-" Ruby was cut off as Ashton pulled her really close, Her head was buried in his chest and she could hear a rapid thumping noise next to her ear. He suddenly released her and she took note of the weapon leaned over her shoulder, Smoke still hovering out of the barrel.

"Another five seconds and you would have ended up just like. . ." Ashtons voice trailed off at the end with a hint of regret at having spoke. He stepped off the Mongoose and pushed past her, She finally noticed the Beowolf writhing on the floor in pain from the multiple gunshot wounds.

"I got it." Weiss said taking out Myrtenaster, Prompting a laugh from Ashton. "What's so funny?" She asked annoyed.

"A rapier?" He said with a laugh again. "An elegant weapon for a more. . .civilized age. . .Not befitting for the execution of a beast." He said drawing his machete and running it across the animals neck, It barely even struggled at that point as most of the life had been drained from its body.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss said getting more annoyed by the minute

"Nothing. Just. . .I hadn't realised my useless tails. . .no offence, Would be armed with such ancient weaponry." He said kicking the corpse to make sure it was dead before turning and making his way back to the Mongoose.

"Ancient? This weapon is almost as modern as it gets, It helps me utilize dust in combat."

"Dust?"

"Yes, Dust." Weiss said taking out a jar of dust. "See." She said holding it up.

"A jar of blue dirt?" Ashton said stopping for a moment before sitting on the Mongoose and turning it on again.

"Not dirt, Dust." She said as she shook the jar back and forth.

"Lovely. . .well you enjoy your colored dirt then. . .I suppose the rest of you use Rapiers that help you utilize colored dirt?"

"No we u-" Ruby started to say before Yang covered Ruby's mouth. The anger on Weiss's face had very clearly built up to a point where the next person to talk was going to have a broken neck. She planted herself in front of the Mongoose.

"Move. . ."

"You will give me the respect I deserve. . .Do you even realise who I am?"

"No. . .and I honestly don't care. . .Now you can move out of my way or you can get a few broken bones." He said revving the engine.

She brought her sword up and pointed it directly at him, The dust in the sword revolved before stopping on red, She took up a stance as the blade began to glow. She was royally pissed off now. He raised his SMG with one hand and prepared to accelerate forward, A low growl was suddenly heard. Another Beowolf came out of the woodline followed by several others, It had been a pack the entire time. Weiss adjusted her aim off of Ashton and onto the first Beowolf figuring she would deal with him later. She let the blast of fire hit the creature square in the chest blowing it back and setting the ground around it ablaze. She gave him a look that said "You gonna shut up now?". His response was to spin the Mongoose around, kicking dirt onto her, and running a Beowolf over before stopping to plant a small burst into it's head.

"It's a whole pack! Watch out!" Ruby said taking out Crescent Rose, She began firing before going into a backflip as a Beowolf swiped at her.

Ashton fired another controlled burst causing a Beowolf to scream out in pain, He had no idea what these creatures were and he didn't care, All he knew is that they had killed his friends only days ago and he was not about to let any of them survive. Getting tunnel vision on another one in front of him he didn't notice another come up to his side as it tossed him to the ground.

"_Aw crap. . ."_ He thought to himself as the creature prepared to slash him open.

**UNSC battle group engaged with Covenant fleet, UNSC Cerberus.**

General Cato assessed his current situation, While the Spartans had regained control for the most part of the Cerberus there was still a significant hostile presence onboard. The attack being carried out by his Marines at the moment was going well though, The ODSTs that had gotten inside the ship had secured the hangar to allow the rest of the attacking force to get inside. After General Cato had regained communications with his officers he had found out they had suffered very little casualties and were almost to the bridge.

"_It's almost too easy._" General Cato thought to himself as he went over the information being sent to him. General Cato sent in orders to divert a platoon to try and disable the weapons control center aboard the ship as another Strident-class was seared in half with plasma torpedoes. Commander Palmer walked back into the room, flanked by two Spartans, she took off her helmet and rested it on a console.

"General Cato." She said in a tone lower ranking officers normally wouldn't talk to their superiors in. "We have a bit of a. . .situation."

"Well. What is it?" He said turning to face the younger officer.

"Covenant forces remaining on board are dug into very good defensive positions, They know it's a losing fight but they continue to attempt counterattacks ineffectively. The problem is where they have decided to set up these defensive positions."

"And where are these positions?"

"There are two groups, the larger group of Covenant has taken up defensive positions in the fire control center, while the smaller group is pinned into place just outside engine room A. If that smaller group manages to get into the engine room and the group in the fire control center do anything. . .this ship could become an easy target VERY fast."

"Then let's get those hostiles neutralized, Commander." General Cato said turning back around.

"On it, Sir. But as I said they're dug in very well."

"They could have built goddamn bunkers down there for all I care, I just want them neutralized, Commander. By any means necessary."

"Yes, Si-" Commander Palmer started to say but was cut off by an explosion and a violent rocking. One of the Spartans held his hand up to the side of his head as he received a message.

"Commander, Hostiles have gained access to the engine room, Alpha and Bravo squads are moving in to neutralize them now."

"General, Are you alright?" Captain Del Rio asked as his image popped up on a screen.

"Just fine, Captain. I can't say much about the crew of the Cerberus though."

"Got it, General, Take charge of the ship and pull back towards Balaho. Your part of the mission is over. Lieutenant Murray should be arriving by Pelican soon." Captain Del Rio said as he turned his attention away for a moment while someone said something to him.

General Cato, Not pleased with the fact that a lower ranking officer was giving him an order shrugged it off and figured it for the best. He didn't know much about ship-to-ship combat so it made sense to have him take charge and pull the ship back.

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 15th -, Emerald Forest, Remnant**

"_Aw crap._" Ashton thought to himself as the creature standing above him raised its arm to slash him open. His helmet had fallen off from the blow and his head was exposed, He raised his hands up to try and defend himself, As the creature brought its arm down for the kill a bullet slammed into the side of its head. Ashton look to his right to find Blake standing above him, She placed a few more rounds into the creature as its corpse hit the ground.

"Come on!" Blake yelled as she stook a hand out to help him get up, He grabbed her hand and she pulled him up to his feet. As Ashton slapped a new magazine into his M7S Blake transformed Gambol Shroud into it's sword mode and gave a Beowolf a slash across the chest, sending it flying back into a tree, Ashton placed to bullets into its chest as it was still recovering from the slash.

"We're getting surrounded!" Yang yelled as she grabbed a Beowolf and threw it into the ground with a blast from Ember Celica.

"We need to push out then, Break through, Escape, Evade." Ashton said as he cut down two more of the creatures and began moving towards the Mongoose. There was a loud CRACK as a shot went behind his head, nailing another creature presumably, he shrugged it off and kept moving. He was about to climb onto the Mongoose when one of the creatures slammed into with a loud CRUNCH.

"Sorry!" Ruby yelled.

"Oh, For fucks sake. . ." He muttered. He let another burst rip into one of the creatures as it attempted to bite him while pushing the corpse of the other one off of the Mongoose. He looked over the Mongoose while Yang punched a creature into a tree making a satisfying thud. The Mongoose was wrecked, But it was fixable, Just not under these conditions. Ashton decided to leave it for now and come back for it later.

"Where do we go!?" Weiss yelled.

"Double time it." Ashton said pointing out a direction, They all took off running. They would stop only momentarily to kill one of the creatures every now and then. One gave Ashton a slash across the side of his face as he placed some pistol rounds into it.

"You okay?" Blake asked him with a concerned look on her face, The wound was gushing blood, He decided it the best to pop his helmet back on.

"I'm fine, Just keep moving!" He said switching back to his M7S and pumping a few rounds into a bush that rustled.

The group kept running for quite a while before they came across another group of pods.

"More pods." Ruby said.

"Yep, I'd say we lost those things for now. . .Cover me while I pop this open, Eh, Princess." Ashton said as he walked past Weiss and patted her on the shoulder. She shot him a glare before going back to scanning the tree line. He messed around with the pod a bit before finally getting the hatch to open. Blake came up behind him.

"Hey, Ashton. Can I ask something?"

"Hello, Beautiful!" He said excitedly as he rummaged through the pod. Blake's face turned a bright red, He finally turned to face her and depolarized his visor, She noticed the massive rifle in his hand. "Oh, I mean you're nice too. Just not in the way of a 5.45 millimeter magnetically accelerated slug." He said with a laugh noticing how much embarrassment her caused her. "Anyway, What do you need?" He asked once he had finished laughing.

"Why do you harbor such hate for these. . .Aliens you talk about."

Ashton let out a sigh before responding. "You really don't want to drop this subject, Do you? If the fact that they almost eliminated my species isn't enough, They've hit me on a personal level."

"Personal level?" She said getting over what had just happened.

"Yeah. . .Earth. The homeworld of the human race, The place where it all began. I grew up on Earth, In a huge city called New York, It was formerly one of the largest cities in the United States. . .when multiple countries existed that is. Even though we were all UEG citizens the people in New York still considered themselves members of the United States at heart. But I'm getting off track, I grew up there in New York. My Mom and me, Dad. . . .well he lived the good life, Fought the good fight, Made the ultimate sacrifice. The Covenant war had been going on for some time then and he was an officer in the UNSC Navy. . .so it's not hard to imagine what happened to him. But while I grew up in New York I loved every minute of it, It was a beautiful city. It was one of the reasons I signed up for the UNSC. . .one of the things I wanted to protect. So you can imagine I was devastated when the Covenant invaded Earth. . .and one of the first places that was hit was. . .New York. Now you might think that's a stupid reason, 'They blew up the place you grew up, Big deal!'. Well it kind of was. . .to me anyway, All my memories growing up were there. But they didn't just kill my memories. . .they killed my family. My Mother, My only remaining family member was killed that day too, Unsurprisingly at the hand of the Covenant." He stopped telling his story when he noticed more than one pair of ears was listening.

"I'm sorry. . I didn't kno-"

"What'd I say about apologizing? Let me just leave you with this to think about, Blake. If someone were to try and eliminate you and your people, If they took everything from you, Deemed you lesser and unworthy to live. . .are you not to hate them? Are you not to eliminate them first? Just think on that for a while." He said polarizing his visor and going back to his new weapon. He sat himself on the ground and began to load it.

"Well that was. . .deep." Yang said.

"What's that?" Ruby asked Ashton, Trying to change the mood which had become very tense.

"Nothing. . .Just the Model 99 Special Application Scoped Rifle."

"Is that like the other rifle you have?"

"Sort of. . .just this one will punch through several buildings and obstructions before ripping any unfortunate living creature in its sights to shreds up to and exceeding ranges of eight kilometers." He said casually.

"Why didn't you just have this from the start?"

"Because the officers, with good reason, do not trust me with such a fine weapon of war. . .I barely trust myself with it."

"Why's that."

"You. . .don't want to know."

"Well, Enough with the stories. We've cleared these pods, and we've still got a pack of Beowolves after us, I say we call it a day and get picked up." Weiss said, Cutting into the conversation

"Beowolves, That's what you call those things?" Ashton said with a laugh.

"What's wrong with the name?" Weiss said annoyed.

"Nothing, I just find it ironic. Where I'm from Beowulf is the hero in an epic poem, A king who slayed a dragon but was mortally wounded in the process. To think such a lowly beast could share it's name with such a great hero."

"Right. . ." Weiss said. "Let's move."

**UNSC Cerberus, En route back to Balaho**

"Sir, Bridge is secure. Appears they've abandoned it." A Marine's voice crackled over the communications.

"Affirmative, We'll keep an eye out for any escape pods. . .they may have decided to abandon ship." Captain Del Rio's voice could be heard. General Cato was listening to the comms chatter as they made their way back.

"Situation below decks seems to be handled, General. All Covenant forces on this vessel have been eliminated." Commander Palmer said.

"That's music to my ears, Commander." General Cato said as Lieutenant Murray entered the bridge.

"Everything is alright I assume, General?" She said as she plopped herself down in one of the crew chairs.

"Just fine, Lieutenant. I do love a good firefight every now and then. . .let's you know you're still alive." As General Cato finished his sentence the comms went off again.

"SIR, IT'S THE COVENANT! THEY'RE EVERYWHE-" Came a cry over the speaker.

"Captain, What was that?" General Cato asked over the comms to the Infinity.

"It would appear our boarding force has been eliminated, All-"

"According to the plan." Lieutenant Murray finished.

"What?" General Cato said as he turned his head in her direction.

"Everything is going according to plan, General. Part of the plan was to have the boarding team get overrun."

"So you're telling me I just sacrificed some of my best men, For nothing?"

"Not for nothing, General. For the plan. ONI wants Corporal Dommer back, And we're going to achieve this by any means necessary. If a few Marines fall along the way, So be it, It's what they signed up for. Now keep the ship on course to Balaho." She picked up the receiver for the comms device. "Captain, Your job here is finished, You may initiate a jump to safety now."

The Infinity and the rest of the battle group initiated slipspace jumps, Abandoning the Cerberus.

"Lieutenant, This is insane! What are you trying to accomplish!?"

"As I said, The retrieval of Corporal Dommer, The boarding team existed to provoke the Covenant into a counter attack. We will bring the ship back towards Balaho where there is a massive UNSC fleet waiting to slaughter the Covenant, After that there's a certain tear the remainder of a certain Covenant ship will be diving into. It was even part of the plan to have the Covenant boarding teams get aboard, Notice we can't make a slipspace jump because of the damage they caused in one of the engine rooms? That's so you don't try to escape and ruin the plan. We should've provoked a counter-attack, they will follow us all the way back to Balaho. . .so try not to get this ship destroyed on the way, General." The young lieutenant said with a smug look on her face.

General Cato didn't know what to do anymore, He figured the best chance of survival was to do as she had said and head for the fleet waiting at Balaho. He looked to Commander Palmer, She had the same look of worry and discontent he did.

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 15th -, Emerald Forest, Remnant**

"Shit's quiet. . ." Ashton commented on the silence as they waited for their Bullhead to come and pick them back up. They had returned to the position where it had dropped them off originally and Ashton had salvaged the Mongoose on the way back.

"Vulgarity. . ." An annoyed Weiss responded.

"Will both of you shut up? Yang said. "We haven't seen any Grimm for a while now, Personally I'd like to keep it that way and we don't need to attract them with unnecessary noise."

"Grimm?" Ashton asked with a confused look on his face.

"OH! I never explained anything to you! Ohhhhh man, Ozpin's gonna be angry!" Ruby suddenly yelled as she fell to the ground.

"What?"

"The headmaster told me to explain our world to you! That way you would be prepared for your classes tomorrow! But then we came here! I lost track of time! Oh he's gonna be so angry!"

Ashton stared at her with disbelief, Of course to the others he was just looking in her general direction from behind his visor. But he couldn't believe that she was in charge of a team, From what he had seen in combat she handled the gun she had fairly well, But other than that she seemed disorganized. . .very disorganized.

"Ohhhh what am I gonna do!?" She kept yelling to herself.

"So much for unnecessary noise. . ." Ashton thought aloud.

"Sis, Relax. You can explain everything about our world to him later, After we get back." Yang said, Patting Ruby on the shoulder and shooting Ashton a look. "I'll even help you." She finished.

"Really!? Oh thank you sooooo much. You're the best sister ever!" She yelled giving her a hug.

"I'll help too." Weiss said.

"Weiss? Why would you want to help him? Don't you. . . you know. . .hate his guts?"

"What would give you that idea?"

"If I remember correctly from the other day, "I HAVE HALF A MIND TO RIP YOU TO SHREDS", and, "I OUGHTA THROW YOU OUT THE WINDOW", That is what gives us the idea." Ruby said.

"Regardless." Weiss responded defensively. "I still wish to help, Perhaps after some education he will be a, for lack of a better word, better person. . .and less vulgar."

"Question." Ashton said, Getting their attention. "Why not just explain all this crap to me. . .here and now."

"Well. . .there's kind of. . .a lot of stuf-" Ruby started to say but was cut off by a gun barrel being placed over her shoulder. "What are you doing?" She asked, Staring awkwardly at Ashton who had placed the barrel of his M99 SASR over her shoulder suddenly.

"Shhh." He said, They couldn't see it but he had linked up with the scope and was using the IRNV setting to scan the tree line, As expected there were multiple signatures detected. "Ruby, When I tell you to. . .I want you to duck down as fast as you can, You don't want your ears level with this thing when it goes off, It's not particularly loud but it'll hurt. Can you do that for me?" He whispered to her.

She nodded. "Y-yeah."

"Alright, Good. Ready? Drop. . . NOW!" She dropped to the floor as he said it, There was a small red line being projected from the scope only he could see, As it turned green, confirming the shot would hit, He pulled the trigger sending the 5.4x39 millimeter bullet forward at great speed into a Beowolf. The creature cried out loudly as it's torso was blown apart by the force of the bullet. Ashton lined up another shot through all the foliage and sent another round into one of the Beowolves. The others started firing into all the foliage but they didn't have the IRNV optics he had so they were firing blind, For Ashton it showed, He could see bullets and flashes of light flying at absolutely nothing, Occasionally they would hit a Beowolf which would give out a satisfying yelp or cry out in pain.

"Our rides here, Come on!" Yang yelled as the Bullhead flew overhead and went into a hover, It began descending down towards them. Ashton was about to break the link with his scope when he noticed a bigger target moving at the back of the formation of Beowolves. From what he was seeing on the IRNV it was one of those bear like creatures from before, The one that put a nice big wound in his chest, He was not about to let this one get away unscathed. He lined up the shot and pulled the trigger, He felt very satisfied with himself as he watched the round penetrate through the armor on the front of it's head this time with no trouble and it fell over dead.

"Let's go!"

More Beowolves were emerging from the treeline now, Ashton ran over to the Bullhead. He lifted in the Mongoose with Yang's help. As the Bullhead started to pull up a Beowolf grabbed onto Yang's leg. Ashton shot it three times in the face with his M6S before she kicked it off with her other foot.

"Thanks. . ." She said as she looked up at him.

"Don't mention it." He said as he took off his helmet and dropped it to the floor, He stuck out his hand to help her to her feet. After she got up she stayed there long enough to make it awkward for him before shooting him a smirk and shoving him to the floor of the Bullhead. "Ow. . ." Ashton muttered.

"That's for the sarcastic remark about noise before." She said with a laugh.

**UNSC Cerberus, En route back to Balaho**

"This plan is going to be the end of me. . ." General Cato thought aloud as another plasma torpedo nearly missed the Cerberus.

"Not if everything-"

"Goes according to plan, I know Lieutenant, The problem is we're not the only ones on this ship, We've got a full naval crew, detachment of Marines, and a team of SPARTAN-IVs aboard that we will lose if anything goes wrong."

"So then we just won't mess up, General. We're almost there. . .just a little further. The fleet will be on the other side of the planet so the Covenant can't detect them." Lieutenant Murray said grabbing onto a console as the ship rocked from another near miss.

"Lieutenant, This is practically insubordination. . .No, This IS insubordination." Commander Palmer said sternly.

"Commander, If you wish to take me into custody for insubordination go ahead, But everyone on this ship will die, and if we don't ONI won't have me sit in custody for long." Lieutenant Murray said knowing she was perfectly safe, She couldn't see behind her visor that Commander Palmer was staring daggers at her but she could sense it.

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 15th -, Beacon Academy, Remnant**

"GAH!" Ashton said as he walked into the new room that was being given to him.

"Is it not to your liking?" Professor Ozpin asked, He had personally escorted Ashton there after they had gotten back from the forest..

"No. . . .it's. . .nice."

"Is it bad that it's nice?"

"No it's just. . .you said this used to be a supply closet."

"Yes?"

"It's huge." Ashton said stepping into the sizeable room and plopping down onto the bed that was placed in a corner. "I'm used to cramped spaces on a ship, So when you said this used to be a closet. . .I just wasn't expecting so much room."

"Alright." Ozpin said with a chuckle. "We still don't have a locker for you yet so you'll have to keep your weapons in here for now, In that dresser there you'll find a uniform and another outfit for you, I'm sure you're tired of walking around in that battle uniform of yours."

"Thank you."

"You'll also need this." Ozpin said as he tossed him a scroll.

"What's this?"

"We call it a scroll, A handy little device that does everything from feed you information in combat, Let you message people you know, It also controls the lock on your door."

"Cool. . ." Ashton said as he opened the scroll and tapped through the screen.

"You have the rest of the day to yourself, Spend it how you will, But you have class tomorrow. Good luck." Professor Ozpin said as he closed the door behind him.

"Wow. . ." Ashton said as he stood up. "This is. . .pretty cool." He went over to the dresser and opened the drawer. "This on the other hand. . .not so much." He said as he examined the uniform. Suddenly there was a loud THUD outside. Ashton dropped the uniform back into the drawer and made his way over to the door. Ashton opened the door and leaned his head out where he saw a familiar face.

"Ah crap. . ." Jaune muttered as he struggled to pick some of the books on the floor that fell off a rather large stack of them he was carrying.

"Oh. . .hey. . .Jaune, right?" Ashton said stepping out into the hall.

"Oh. . .hey Ashton."

"Here, Let me help you with that." Ashton said kneeling down and picking up a few books.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it, Where ya headed?"

"My room. It's a few halls down. I'll show you." Jaune said as Ashton stood up.

"So, I'm surprised you're so willing to talk to me."

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked as they walked.

"Well, You were there at that meeting earlier, Where your headmaster showed the combat footage on my helmet. . .where most of the people watching found themselves terrified and or disgusted with me."

"Yeah, Well. You don't seem like a bad guy Ashton. You've just had to do things that are just. . .meh. My Mom always told me to never make a final judgement on someone from the first thing you see of them."

"Thanks, Jaune. You're a good guy." Ashton said as they arrived at Jaune's room.

"Here, Let me just. . ." Jaune said as he placed the books he was carrying on top of the ones in Ashton's hands. He took out his scroll and unlocked his door before sliding it back into his pocket. "Now let's just get these inside." Jaune said taking some of the books back from Ashton.

"Where should I set these down?" Ashton asked Jaune as they entered the room.

"Right over here."

"Alri-HOLY SHIT!" Ashton yelled throwing the pile of books.

"HELLO!" Nora yelled enthusiastically from right behind Ashton.

"JESUS CHRIST! I'M GONNA HAVE A GODDAMN HEART ATTACK!"

"NORA! WHERE DID YOU COME FROM!?" Jaune asked, He had also been startled and dropped all his books.

"Well. . .I was jumping on the bed. . .and then I heard people coming in and I thought it might be robbers so I hid under the bed so I could sneak attack them, Then I realised it was just you so I came out."

"You know this girl?" Ashton asked after he had calmed down a little.

"Yeah. . .Ashton this is Nora, A member of my team." Jaune said after he too had calmed down.

"Hello again!"

"Is she ALWAYS like this?" Ashton whispered to Jaune.

"Yes. . ." Jaune replied letting his head skulk down.

"Nora! What are you yelling about!?" Two people yelled running into the room.

"Oh. . .Jaune, You're back. You got the books?" One said.

"And you brought a friend." The other one said.

"Yeah, This is Ashton. He helped me carry the books."

"Hello, Ashton." One said, She was a girl with red hair. "I'm Pyrrha." She said sticking out her hand.

"I'm Ren, Nice to meet you." The other one said, A boy with a pink streak in his hair and mostly dressed in green said.

"Nice to meet both of you." He said as he shook Pyrrha's hand and exchanged a nod with Ren. "Alright, Jaune, If that's everything I'll be on my way."

"Yeah, Thanks again, Ashton." Jaune said as Ashton left the room and began walking back up the hall.

Ashton walked through the hallways listening to the noise around him, Behind some doors he could hear music behind some, Talking, Laughing, People. He took it all in. . .and then it hit him. He finally realised that everything was different now. He was no longer aboard a UNSC warship preparing for battle, No longer patrolling the remains of a destroyed world, No longer fighting the Covenant. . . .There was no Covenant anymore. He wasn't a soldier anymore. . .he was a student. But as he arrived back at his room, formerly a supply closet, His instincts and training still kicked in, It was different. . . it was not as he had left it only minutes ago to help Jaune. When he had left with Jaune he left the door open, Foolish, yes, but there wasn't anything in there to steal. But now. . .the door was slightly closed, Someone had definitely tampered with it. As he opened the door he kept his hand on his hip, Ready to draw his M6S at any moment.

"Hello, Ashton!" Ruby greeted him as he opened the door. She was just standing there, Smiling, Eyes closed and head tilted to the side. Of course when she opened her eyes she was greeted with a pistol pointed between her eyes.

"God. . .I almost shot you, You sure do have a real knack for triggering me to draw my weapon." Ashton said lowering his pistol and holstering it. He made his way over to his bed, The only piece of furniture in the room besides some shelves, The dresser, and a rug in the middle of the floor. He lay on his back with his legs dangling off.

"No, Now's not the time to go to sleep. We have somewhere to go!" She said enthusiastically.

"What are you talking about?"

"You forgot about it already? Remember, I'm going to explain this world to you! So I figure it would help to take you down to Vale so you could experience some of the culture!" She said pushing him until he got up. When he finally sat up he realised how she was dressed.

"What's with the getup?" He asked gesturing to the more casual clothes she was wearing. A red tank top, Black vest, and dark jeans.

"Well why would we go to experience the city in combat gear?" She said.

"Well. . .if I'm not supposed to go in combat gear, You're shit outta' luck. Cuz' combat gear is all I have." He said laying back down.

"Nope."

"Hmm?"

"Nope, Didn't Professor Ozpin tell you that you have some clothes in your dresser?"

"How did you know that?" He said sitting back up and giving her a look.

"Because I helped him pick them for you!" She said giving him a thumbs up.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. . .get out so I can get dressed. . ."

"Great! I know you'll look just fine!" She said as she stepped out of the room.

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 15th -, Beacon Academy, Remnant, Ten minutes later**

Ashton stepped out of the room tugging at the unbuttoned collar of the grey button down shirt he had found in the dresser, He had rolled up the sleeves and had his black ODST shirt on underneath, He also had on a pair of dark colored jeans, and a pair of combat boots.

"See! You look great! Let's go, We have to meet up with the others so they can help me. Come on!" Ruby said in a very enthusiastic voice pulling him along by one arm.

"_Oh boy. . .this can only end well. . ._" Ashton thought to himself as Ruby dragged him along. She dragged him down the hallways until they finally exited the dormitory building. Ashton was hit with the light of the fading sun.

"You can let go of me now. . ." Ashton said sternly, Trying to shrug Ruby's grip off of his arm. "I'm not a small child that needs to be physically guided."

"Oh. . .right. . .heh." She said with a small chuckle as she let go of his arm. "Sorry, I'm just really excited."

"Why?"

"Well, I get to show you around!" She said enthusiastically as she pumped a hand into the air.

Ashton laughed.

"What's so funny!?" Ruby protested, Thinking he was making fun of her.

"Nothing, Nothing, You just reminded me of someone I knew just then, That's all." He said after he had finished laugh. "You know it's nice. . .I haven't been able to laugh this much in a long time. . .thanks." He said letting his voice trail off at the end.

They made their way through Beacon to a landing pad that went off the edge of a cliff. There was a massive airship that Ashton had never seen before, He wasn't as awe inspired as he felt Ruby was expecting him to be though, He had in fact seen much larger things fly in a planets atmosphere.

"Ruby! There you are!" Yang yelled to her sister. "Come on! We're gonna miss the flight!" She was waving for them to hurry up. She stood there in a yellow short sleeve shirt, Short shorts, and her boots. The two of them ran to hop onto the ship just before it left.

"Whew. Just barely made it." Ruby said as she leaned back on a rail.

"Yeah, Cut it real close there." Ashton said.

"Maybe if you exceeded at time management as much as you exceed at being a vulgar imbecile you wouldn't have cut it so close." Weiss muttered.

"Hey! I may be vulgar, But I am NOT an imbecile!"

"Both of you calm down. . .jeez." Yang said, Trying to stop another fight from breaking out less than five minutes into their little trip. "I swear, I'm like the emotional glue holding this friendship together. . ."

"Where's Blake?" Ruby asked trying to change the subject.

"She stayed behind. . .she didn't want to be around when we explained. . .you know what."

"Oh. . .yeah. . .that makes sense." Ruby said looking down.

"What's, This, 'You know what', Hmm?"

"Nothing, You'll find out eventually. . ." Weiss said turning to look out the window.

"Well if the point of this is to explain this world to me, Shouldn't you get started?"

"I guess. . ." Ruby said.

"Alright, Let's start with this." He said patting the wall of the airship.

"That's a wall." Yang said as she let a goofy smile cross her face.

Ashton shot her a look that basically told her she was going to die. "Nevermind then. Start wherever you lot want." He said crossing his arms.

"Well. . ." Ruby said. "I guess we can start with-"

"Dust." Weiss said cutting Ruby off.

"Ah, The colored dirt again." Ashton said as Weiss shot him a death stare.

"Dust is the main energy propellant we use, There are two forms of it Crystalline and Powdered. Dust was discovered during mankind's war for survival against the Grimm. Upon harnessing the power of Dust the war was turned and mankind won. Now Dust is integrated into everything from machines, to weaponry. Crystalline Dust is relatively safe while Powdered Dust can be extremely volatile. This dolt here almost blew us off the side of a cliff on the first day we met." Weiss explained jabbing a thumb in Ruby's direction, Ruby's face turned bright red at having the event from months ago being resurfaced.

"Extremely volatile, Huh? I bet the Innies would love to get their hands on that. . ." Ashton thought aloud.

"Innies?" Weiss asked raising an eyebrow.

"Oh no, You're the ones explaining things to me now, I'm done answering questions. I've done enough explaining the last few days."

"I think it's fair to answer what an Innie is after she just explained Dust." Yang sighed.

"Fine. . . Innie is short for Insurrectionist. Insurrectionists are basically a bunch of terrorists who gladly harm a group of civilians to further their goals. They want to secede from the UEG so bad that one time they even detonated a nuclear weapon resulting in the deaths of two million people and injuring another eight point three million. . .all in the name of freedom of course."

"What's a nuclear weapon?" Ruby asked cocking her head to the side. Ashton stared at her and let his jaw hang open.

"A nuclear weapon is a type of ordnance that uses nuclear fission as it's energy source. You measure the yield of a nuclear weapon in how many tons of TNT it would take to recreate the explosion."

"TNT?"

"Nuclear fission?"

"I'm not going into a science lesson. . .let's just say it's a REALLY big bomb."

"Well, While we're on the subject of terrorists. . ." Weiss said.

"Weiss, Is this the best idea?" Yang asked.

"What? He needs to know." She said shrugging. "We have to deal with a terrorist group of our own, The White Fang. They're a radical group of extremists fighting for equality, They resort to violent tactics most of the time and have no problem taking innocent lives for their cause. . .like those Innies you talked about."

"Interesting. . .what makes them unequal?"

"Well. . .this is something we probably should have told you first."

"Hmm?"

"Humans aren't. . .the only species. . .that live in this world." Yang said with a small chuckle trying to diffuse any tension.

Ashton tightened his grip on the rail he was holding and looked at all three of them before giving Yang a look signalling her to continue.

"You see. . .there's another species living on this planet. The other species is called the Faunus, They look just like humans. . .they just have some more. . ."

"Animal like traits. . ." Ruby finished.

"So like. . .lizard people?" Ashton asked.

"Not just lizards, All kinds of animals."

Ashton took in what he had just been told for a moment.

"Any hostilities? Other than this White Fang of course. . .?"

"The Faunus Rights Revolution, It was an outright war fought between us and them, They were again fighting for equality."

"Well if they used to be fighting for equality. . .and they're fighting for equality now. . .it didn't really work did it?"

"I suppose not. . ." Yang said.

"Should we tell him about. . .you know. . ." Ruby said.

"Right, I'll do it." Weiss said. Ashton rolled his eyes.

"_Here we go again._" He thought.

"Ashton, I'm going to be blunt with this, You have to react to what I'm about to tell you in a calm manner and not do anything stupid."

"Right, Get on with it."

"These Faunus we've told you about. . .well. . .Blake is one of them." Weiss paused letting Ashton soak it in for a moment. "She is also a former member of the White Fang."

"So she's a terrorist." Ashton said bluntly.

"No, She's a former terroris-" Ruby shot Weiss a look.

"No, She's not a terrorist." Weiss said.

"Alright, Well. . .that's a bit to think on. . ."

"You're not going to go. . .slit her throat or anything. . .are you?"

"I might. . ."

The three of them looked at him horrified at what he had just said.

"I'm joking of course." He paused. "I dislike the Innies. . . .I despise the Covenant. . .I'm not entirely sure how I feel about these thin- These. . . .people." Ashton said catching himself at the end.

"Well. . .that went better than expected." Ruby said as the Airship began docking.

**UNSC Cerberus, Linking up with UNSC fleet over Balaho**

"This is it. . ." Lieutenant Murray said as the Cerberus entered the gravitational pull of the planet.

"We came this far. . .now this fleet better kick some ass,"

"Don't worry, General. This should catch them completely off guard." Lieutenant Murray said as a group of Vindication-class light battleships came from around the other side of the planet. An Autumn-class heavy cruiser and a group of Strident-class heavy frigates followed soon after.

"These boys should disable our Covenant tail and then we can use it to go through the tear." Lieutenant Murray finished, Please how her plan had worked flawlessly. The ships opened up with their MAC guns further damaging the already battered ship. The Covenant Assault Carrier was quickly outflanked and surrounded, They had no choice but to keep pushing forward in hopes to break out of the swarm of UNSC ships now around them. And then a certain ONI Lieutenant's plan went down the drain.

"Enemy ship adjusting vector, It's heading right for the planet." A voice crackled over the comms, Lieutenant Murray looked at the monitor in front of her in disbelief.

"They're trying to destroy the ship, Rather than let us take it." General Cato said.

"We're the closest ship, We need to pursue and prevent that from happening." The Cerberus adjusted its course to intercept the Assault Carrier. The MAC gun was fired in an attempt to disable the engines, Thinking this was the way to proceed Lieutenant Murray had the Cerberus continue after the ship. Of course now the Cerberus was in the line of fire of all the ships behind them, Severely reducing the number of guns able to fire at the Covenant ship as they did not want to risk a friendly fire incident. Suddenly aboard the Cerberus there was a big lurch as the ship suddenly stopped.

"What happened?"

"No idea ma'am, Engines are still going and we're still in motion." A crewman said in response to Lieutenant Murray's question.

"Oh no. . ."

"What?"

"They've got us in a tractor beam, They're taking us into the ground with them."

"No. . .they're not taking us into the ground." Lieutenant Murray said as the Assault Carrier hit the atmosphere and was engulfed in a white light. "They're taking us. . .somewhere else. . ." The bright white light was blinding as it engulfed the bridge of the Cerberus, The fear was clear in the Lieutenant's voice. . .this was not part of her plan.

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 15th -, City of Vale, Remnant**

"So. . ." Ashton said looking at the two people sitting across from him and the one on his right as he sipped the coffee he was given. "What now?"

"We continue." Ruby said, After arriving in Vale they stopped at a Cafe to eat.

"Grimm." Yang said.

"Right, Grimm are those creatures we fought in the forest."

"Beowolves?" Ashton said.

"Right. Beowolves are a type of Grimm, There are a bunch of others though. Ursa, Which is the big bear that gave you trouble before, Nevermore, Death Stalker, Boarbatusk, and Taijitu to name a few. These monsters have no souls and exist only to return mankind to the darkness."

"Lovely." Ashton said. "You have your own version of Covvies and Innies."

"I'm going to go get some cookies, I'll be right back." Ruby said getting up.

"Alright, So back on that Dust stuff for a sec. That stuff can be used as an explosive, Correct?"

"Well. . .yes, Why?" Weiss asked.

"Just curious."

"I wouldn't recommend it though."

"What are you? An expert on Dust?"

"Well. . .I am the heiress to the largest energy company in the world. . ." Ashton stopped sipping his coffee and looked at her for a moment.

"So you're like. . .a bajillionaire?"

"Bajillion is not a number. . ." She said annoyed.

"So, Ashton." Yang spoke up trying to change the subject. "What's that thing they always say in war movies. . ." Yang thought aloud. "Oh yeah, So, Do you the 'girl back home' waiting for you?"

"You mean like a girlfriend? No. There was a girl I liked. . .but I made sure she didn't like me back."

"Why?"

"Didn't want to see her get hurt." He said flatly.

"Huh?"

"I knew early on I was gonna join the UNSC, I knew it was a losing war at the time and I would probably die. So if I liked someone, Why cause her grief by getting her to like me and then go and die."

"Oh. . ."

"Yeah, It's kinda dumb. But I was seventeen and stupid, Oh well. Life moves on, I have bigger problems to deal with than a relationship that serves as only as an unnecessary distraction." He paused to take a deep breath as Ruby sat back down. "Speaking of unnecessary distractions, I need to smoke. . ."

"You smoke?"

"Not usually, But I'm really stressed out with everything going on recently. . .you know going to a new world and all. So excuse me for a moment." He said standing up, He made his way out the front door of the Cafe and over to the side in between two buildings. He pulled one of the cigarettes he had purchased with some of the Lien he was given out of his shirts pocket before realising he hadn't gotten a lighter or any matches.

"Need a light?" He heard a voice say. He turned his head slightly to see an outstretched hand with an open lighter.

"Thanks." Ashton said dipping the cigarette into the flame for a moment and then bringing it up to his mouth. He looked the person who had lit his cigarette over. He was smoking a cigar, White coat, Bowler cap.

"_Fancy_." Ashton thought to himself after looking the guy over.

"So. . .Spaceman, Adjusting well?" The man asked, Ashton looked over at the man again. He was looking back at him. "Surprised I know?" He asked as he dropped his cigar to the floor and crushed it under a cane he had been carrying on the other side of his body. "Don't worry, I'm a nice guy. . .I consider myself one anyway, It's just my job to know things. I only want to help you."

"Help me?"

"Yeah, Help you. You see, Sky guy, I am a good guy, A victim in this crazy game we call life. I just want to help you before you end up face down in a gutter. Now whether that be help you adjust to this world. . .or go home. . .is all up to you, Spaceman." He held a small white card out to Ashton. "All. . .up. . .to you."

Ashton looked down at the white card in his hand.

"_Roman Torchwick, 2100 Port Street._" Ashton read the only words on the card, When he looked up the man was gone. The only remainder of him being the crushed cigar where he stood only moments ago. Ashton looked up at the sky as he dropped the cigarette from his mouth, Suddenly not interested in smoking. The clouds had grayed and there were two white flashes in the sky.

"_Things are about to get interesting. . .aren't they?_" Ashton thought as he pushed the door to the cafe open and tucked the card into his pocket so none of the girls would notice. "_Very interesting._"

**A/N: There we go! Sorry about the extremely long wait on this, It's the end of the school year and that of course means Final Tests, Final Projects, Final This, Final That. But now it's summer and school is out. Which means I have more free time to write than just weekend nights, Hopefully this equals more story in a faster timescale, I wanted to get this chapter done as fast as possible so if it seems a little rushed towards the end, Sorry. Also, Before anyone goes "WHERE'S THE COVENANT!?" I think I've teased long enough, The Covenant will show up next chapter, Calm down. Anyway, Enjoy your morning/day/afternoon/evening, and Happy Summer!**


	4. Act 1, Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Halo they are respectively owned by Rooster Teeth and 343 Industries**

(Text / Speech)

**(Flashbacks / Author Notes / Video Recordings)**

_(Thoughts)_

**Chapter 4: Old enemies and new friends**

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 15th -, City of Vale, Remnant**

"So, Anything else?" Ashton asked as he sat back down at the table, He fumbled around with the card he was just given in his pocket.

"Well. . .Let's see." Ruby said. "There's Beacon."

"You mean that school?"

"Yes." Weiss said. "Beacon Academy is a school for Hunters and Huntresses in training, To go to a school like Beacon you have to attend a preparatory combat school like Sanctum or Signal academy." Weiss continued but stopped when she realised Ashton had put his head in his hands. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. The word Hunter just brings up. . .memories." He said looking up. "Continue."

"Well, As I was saying Beacon is a school that trains Warriors. Warriors to keep the peace and defend our world from the creatures of Grimm. After being accepted into Beacon you need to go through an initiation where afterwards you are paired up into four member teams. . . like us."

"So that's how the four of you ended up together?"

"Yup!" Yang said.

"Why?" Ruby asked.

"Well, You frankly don't seem like you all would have gotten together on your own." He said bluntly.

Ruby, Yang, and Weiss exchanged a look before turning back to him.

"Anything else?" He asked.

"No. . .that about covers the basic knowledge of what you'll need." Weiss said.

"Well alright then! Let's get a move on! I know a great club where we ca-" Yang started to say.

"Yang. . .it's late. . .and a school night."

"So? It's his first night out, He deserves a nice trip to the club where he ca-" Yang started to say when Ruby cut her off.

"Yang, Weiss has a point. He'll have his first classes tomorrow. Also. . .I can't go to clubs. . .and aren't you too young to go to a club either!?" Ruby said as she suddenly got a very stern look on her face, She was staring daggers at Yang who rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Right. . .whatever. . .I just want to get out of here. Whether that be go home or to some stupid club I don't care." Ashton said in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

"Let's go then." Weiss said as she stood up, She grabbed him by the arm as she walked past and dragged him out of his chair.

"Whoa! Hold up! He said he didn't care!" Yang said protesting as she stood up. She began to chase after them as Weiss dragged him out the door, But was stopped when Ruby blocked her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Huh?"

"We still need to talk about you and clubs. . .that's where you've been sneaking off to then. . ." Ruby said, Yang sighed as her younger sister was about to give her a lecture on being a better student.

**Weiss Schnee, July 16th -, City of Vale, Remnant**

"What the hell was that about?" Ashton asked as Weiss dragged him along.

"Getting you out of there, That way you don't miss your classes tomorrow." Weiss responded.

"Oh joy. . .Well. . .Can you let go of me?"

"Huh?" Weiss asked turning her head.

"I'm not a child. . .I don't need to be guided by hand. Although all of you seem to think so. . ."

"Oh. . .Sorry." Weiss said as she let go of his arm.

"Hey, Look at that. You're genuinely sorry for once."

Weiss gave him a very stern look.

"I'm just saying, Last time you told me you were sorry it was just a trick to get me to talk."

"Fair enough. . ." Weiss muttered as they stepped on the platform to wait for an Airship.

"So why'd you take such an interest in making sure I don't oversleep and miss my first classes?"

"Well. . ."

"Well?"

"Well, If you miss your classes your grades will go down, and if your grades get too low you will possibly be kicked out, and if you get kicked out. . . I won't be able to observe you and get more information on your world filled with vulgar gun toting idiots like you."

"Always a hidden motive. . ." Ashton sighed.

**UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant, July 16th -**

"Where are we?" A naval crewman asked looking over the screen in front of him.

"More importantly. . .where are the Covenant?"

"I'm not picking up any Cherenkov Radiation, Sir. Did they not pull us into a slipspace jump?" The crewman asked.

General Cato and Lieutenant Murray exchanged a look.

"Check all communications channels, Send out a distress signal over the E-BAND." Lieutenant Murray said to the crewman. "Check NAVDATA, See if you can map out where we are." She said as she pointed to another crewman.

"E-BAND is giving me static, I can't reach anyone over any communication channels, Ma'am."

"Same over here, NAVDATA doesn't register, We're not in UNSC explored space, Ma'am. I have no idea where we are."

"I think that confirms your theory then, Lieutenant." General Cato said. "Of course if our ODSTs are out there, They'd be on the planet below us."

"Sir, I'm picking up multiple contacts on radar." A crewman said.

"Pull it up on the monitor." General Cato responded, A screen flickered on and the ships external cameras searched around before focusing in on the objects the radar had detected.

"Banshees." Lieutenant Murray said as the pair of blue-purple colored variants glided across the screen. "Seems they're performing recon."

"Dispatch a squadron of longswords, We don't need the Covenant knowing where we are when we don't know where they are."

"Sir, I don't think they're searching for us, They're performing recon on the planet I believe."

"Regardless, I want those longswords dispatched."

"Aye aye, Sir." The crewman said as he sent the order down to the hangar.

"What now, General?" Lieutenant Murray asked.

"Now, Lieutenant. We wait. . .and pray. If what you've told me up to this point is true. . .we're in for a world of hurt because this is a very dire situation indeed." General Cato said placing his hands on a dashboard.

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 16th -, Beacon Academy, Remnant, Eight hours later**

Ashton slowly opened his eyes as the rays of sunlight beaming in from behind his curtain had finally forced him awake. He contemplated sleeping in a bit longer, Enjoy this new lifestyle. . .that was until someone started banging on the door.

"ASHTON! GET OUT HERE!" A very familiar voice forced his eyes back open. He let out a sigh before replying.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT! I WAS SLEEPING!"

"EXACTLY! IT'S 8:30 ! YOU HAVE CLASS SOON!" Ruby yelled from behind the door.

Ashton dragged himself out of bed and over to his dresser, He slid a drawer open to reveal the school's uniform folded neatly. He let out a groan as he took it out of the drawer and forced himself to get dressed. A few minutes later he opened the door to a smiling Ruby.

"You look great!"

"I feel stupid."

"But, You look great!"

"I still feel stupid." He said rolling his eyes.

"You ARE stupid." Weiss said from behind him.

"Good morning to you too, Sweetheart." He said with a yawn.

"Sweetheart?"

"Sarcasm." Ashton responded.

"Wait. . .what's that?" Ruby asked as she stopped him when he began walking.

"Hmm?"

"Why are you carrying a gun?" Ruby asked pointing out the pistol he tucked into his belt.

"Why not?"

"You can't bring that to class."

"What? What if I removed the magazine?" Ashton said taking it out of his belt and removing the magazine.

"No, No means no." Ruby said taking it from him and tossing it back into his room. When the M6S hit the wall it went off sending a round into the dresser.

"I thought you unloaded it!?" Weiss said peaking her head into the room.

"No, I took the magazine out, I never said anything about clearing the chamber."

"You two just get along so well." Yang said as she approached the group.

"You're here too?" He asked.

"Yup! We all have history class together, ALL of us." She said gesturing to Blake who was behind her.

Ashton exchanged a nod with her.

"About me be-"

"I don't care." Ashton said as he cut Blake off. "I don't. . .care. Can't help how you're born right? Look. . .as long as you don't. . .try and kill me I could care less what you are. I mean, You don't glass worlds do you?"

"What?" Blake tilted her head.

"See, That answers that question. You're fine in my book." He said clapping his hands together. "So, History. One question though. How am I supposed to participate in a history class. . .when I don't know the history of this place, At least. . .not in great detail?"

"Just keep your head down, Like me." Yang said. "You'll be fine. Now off we go!" She said pushing him along.

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 16th -, Beacon Academy, Remnant, Ten minutes later**

Ashton watched the green haired zip around the room, Pausing to take a sip from his mug every now and then, He was amazed at how fast the man moved.

"_Whatever he's drinking. . .I need some._" Ashton thought to himself as he yawned, He was sitting about midway up and had been barely paying attention since the class started five minutes ago as the teacher basically gave a recap of their last lesson, But now things were getting interesting.

"Now, Students!" Professor Oobleck said as he quickly rolled out a map on a moveable board. "Last time we learned about the disastrous defeat for the Human forces at the Battle of Fort Castle. After the battle the Human forces were forced to retreat. Scattered, disoriented, and without leadership the situation was very bleak. The Human forces rallied under a junior officer named Captain Lloyd Anders. The Captain had them hold a defensive position at the Glasserine Pass named for the reflective crystals in the stone."

Ashton lifted his head up, Interested in hearing more.

"Now, The Captain did receive reinforcement in the form of some units of reservists sent to the front line. But as an inexperienced commander he deployed the fresh troops foolishly. When the Faunus forces lead by Commander Derwin Crommel, a Fox Faunus, Pushed into the Glasserine Pass they flanked around the positions of the inexperienced but high in morale reservists and quickly sent the battle hardened but low in morale regulars into a retreat. Although the reservists eventually caught on and forced the Faunus forces to retreat out of the Glasserine Pass, It was still a tactical victory for the Faunus, and the second in what would be a string of defeats for the humans." The professor paused only momentarily to catch his breath and take a sip of his drink. "Now, Students! Who can tell me how the inexperienced Captain could have deployed his forces in a more. . .successful manner?" Professor Oobleck asked. Ashton raised his hand.

"Ah, Yes you! Mister. . . .Dommer was it, A new student! Contributing more to my class already than some people have all year! Very well then! What is the answer?" Professor Oobleck asked taking a sip of his drink.

"It's actually quite easy, If the Captain had taken his battle hardened Guards Infantry units and placed them instead at grid E5 on your map they would not be able to retreat."

"Young man, You're suggesting placing a tired and exhausted group of human beings in a position where their backs would literally be against a wall, They would surely die."

"Precisely." Ashton said. "They are weak and tired, They would retreat regardless. So the solution would have been to place them in a position that would be absolute suicide to hold. They can not fall back, Therefore they have no choice but to fight to the death. The reservists are then freed up to hold the areas leading out of the pass, While they are inexperienced in combat they are high in spirit as all young men are when they first go off to war. Their sheer numbers should have been enough to halt the enemy advance." Students began turning to look at Ashton as he was casually talking about throwing away human lives.

"Most historian believe a better solution would have been to combine the forces of the battle hardened units and the reservists." Professor Oobleck said.

"Maybe, But once those inexperienced reservists see the battle hardened units retreating at first contact because they have no will to fight. . .they would most likely follow the example. If instead they saw those units fight to the bitter end they would try and do the same. It's basic psychology, You try to copy those who are more experienced than you."

"Well, Our new student has provided an. . .interesting new view. . .class is dismissed, Read pages 257 through 270 and answer the questions in the chapter assessment." Professor Oobleck said before speeding out of the room.

"That was pretty interesting, New guy." A voice said on Ashton's right. He turned his head to see a rather big looking guy sitting there. "Not many people can keep up in a debate with Professor Oobleck, It even looks like you flustered him a little. Looks like you can kill Aliens and know how to kill animals."

"Team leader?" Ashton asked, Seeing as that's the only way the boy would know about Aliens.

"You got it, Cardin Winchester's the name, Leader of team CRDL, If you need a place to sit during lunch find me, Having someone like you around doesn't seem too bad." He said before getting up and walking out.

"You really want to avoid him." Yang said leaning down from above Ashton. "He's not the best guy to hang around."

"Bad date?" Ashton asked.

"What? No!" Yang said as Ashton flustered her for a moment. "He's just a bad guy."

"How so?"

"He's a bully." Ruby said.

"Oh, Whatever. I really don't care, School is such bullshit with things like that anyway."

"What you said was pretty dark though." Weiss said as she came over. "You were casually throwing away human lives."

"No, I was strategically using soldiers. There's a difference."

"But they're human. . . .how is it not human lives?" Ruby asked.

"Because, They signed up for that. I fought war, I signed up with full knowledge I may die. When you're on the battlefield you may be a human, But you may have to become a 'Strategic Casualty' or an 'Acceptable Loss'. That's all, It was nothing other than the truth."

"Well, That's. . ." Blake started to say. "Depressing."

Ashton shrugged before standing up.

"Look, This school exists to train warriors, Like you told me, Right?"

Ruby nodded her head.

"Then I'm going to tell the four of you something, Warrior to warrior. When we decided to become, In your case train to become, What we are. . .we promised our loved ones. . .everyone in the world, To give them the best we have, Whether that's for a few years or a lifetime we do it every day. As warriors we do just that, Give our best. If that ends with us dieing on the battlefield, So be it, That's why we exist. . .right?"

"That was also very depressing." Yang said.

"Well, It's also the truth." Ashton said. "Now if one of you would be so kind as to show me where I could find a. . .Professor Port's class, It'd be appreciated."

"This way." Weiss said grabbing his arm and dragging him again.

"I'm not. . .a child. . .stop physically guiding me everywhere. Is this like subconscious or something?" Ashton said annoyed as he ripped his arm out of her grip. "Jeez. . ."

"Whatever, Do you want to know where your class is or not?"

"Stop fighting, Please!" Ruby said trying to calm them down. "Let's just go."

Ruby, Pleased with herself that she had managed to stop an argument from breaking out, Lead the way out of the room. Ashton followed closely behind flanked by Weiss and Yang. Blake lagged a bit behind the others, Walking slower than the others because she was reading something on her scroll.

The group made their way outside, The bright sun hit Ashton in the face and he raised his arm to block the light as his eyes adjusted from being inside. The breeze was blowing making it a nice summer day. There were groups of students milling about and making their way to their classes. Ashton let out a small sigh as they walked, Enjoying the feel of the sun.

BOOM!

"Holy hell, What was that!?" Ashton yelled as the explosion rocked the ground. He looked in the direction that the sound came from as a smoke cloud rose up, Screaming followed soon.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked. There was clear worry in her voice.

"I don't know, But I don't like it." Ashton said as a student stumbled from around the building, He looked very disheveled and his arm had a nasty burn wound.

"What happened?" Weiss asked the student as Ashton stopped him from falling over.

"I don't. . .know. . ." The student replied, He was dazed and still recovering from what happened.

"Look at me, Focus. What happened?" Ashton said as he gave the student a light slap on the face to refocus him.

"Some kind of. . .aircraft. . .it flew in really low and dropped some kind of bomb. . .my team member. . .Lucy. . .she's dead." The student suddenly refocused and quickly began panicking. "Oh god. . .Lucy she's dead! Oh god! She was just disintegrated in a ball of green light! Oh and Felix! He's still back there! You have to go help him! Please!"

"Alright, Sit tight, I'll get your friend." Ashton said patting the boy on the shoulder.

"I'll go too." Weiss said.

"Me too!" Ruby said.

"No, Stay here. He said a bomb went off, It won't be pretty. Also the more people that crowd around ordnance the more people die. Wait here." Ashton said stopping them from following him as he peaked around the corner. There were two craters in the ground with smoke rising out of them, Students were running in all directions.

Ashton made his way around the corner towards the first crater, There was a body lying next to it, He kneeled down next to it and flipped it over. The front of the body was burnt to a crisp.

"Felix, I presume." Ashton said to the corpse as he examined it. "Plasma?" Ashton thought aloud.

"Plasma?" Weiss said kneeling down next to him.

"Didn't I tell you to stay back there?"

"You did." She responded giving him a look that told him he couldn't tell her what to do.

"Fine. . ." He sighed. "But, Yes. Plasma. That's what the cause of death looks like to me, It's very consistent with plasma wounds."

"What's plasma?"

"High-energy ionized gas, The Covenant's basic armament, A majority of their weaponry is plasma based."

"Oh. . .Wel-What's that!?" Weiss suddenly yelled pointing up. Ashton looked up at what she was pointing at and his eyes went wide.

"Banshees! Hit the deck!" He screamed as he pushed Weiss to the ground and placed his body over hers to protect her from any damage. The pair of Banshees swooped in low firing their plasma cannons. A student screamed as a plasma bolt hit him in the chest, Killing him instantly.

"What was that!?" Weiss yelled as the Banshees swooped up into the air behind a building.

"Probably what did this." Ashton said as he got up and helped Weiss to her feet. "We need to move, Now! They're going to swing back around any moment, Come on!" He yelled as he grabbed her arm and led her around the building.

"What's going on!?" Ruby yelled as they came around the corner.

"We heard more screaming and another explosion." Yang said.

"There were these strange aircraft." Blake said.

"We need to get armed. Like right now." Ashton said dead serious.

"What's going on!?" Ruby repeated as another explosion rocked the ground.

"Banshees, I don't know how, But there's a pair of fucking Banshees flying around firing on people."

"Banshees?" Yang asked.

"Covenant aircraft, I'm serious, This is no joke. They need to be dealt with ASAP or lots of people are going to d- Oh my god. . ." Ashton's voice trailed off as a shadow passed over them followed by a low hum.

"WHAT'S THAT!?" Weiss and Yang yelled.

"It's a. . .Phantom. . .My god. . .WE NEED TO MOVE!" Ashton yelled as he began running.

"What about him!?" Blake said referring to the student with the burned arm, He was cowering on the ground. He was hysterical with his head in his hands.

"HE'S A LOST CAUSE, COME ON!" Ashton yelled, Waving his arm for them to follow. The Phantom's door gunners began opening up on a group of students while the plasma auto-cannon fired a shot that destroyed a fountain a few students took cover behind. A Bullhead flew overhead being pursued by a pair of Banshees. The Bullhead was raked with plasma fire before it was hit in one of the engines by a shot from the Banshees Fuel Rod Cannon, The Bullhead went into a spin before slamming into a building. The Banshees broke off before they too crashed into the building. The yard started filling with smoke and the air would be illuminated every time a plasma bolt flew.

Ashton ducked into the dormitory building, The rest of team RWBY followed close behind.

"Everyone's dying!" Ruby exclaimed as they all kept moving to Ashton's room so he could get armed.

"What're we gonna do?" Yang asked, She sounded very panicked.

"I'm gonna get suited up and armed, Then we're gonna head down to the lockers so you can do the same, Alright?"

"Sounds like a plan." Blake said.

Ashton held up his hand in a fist so they would stop. He pressed himself up against the wall and slowly moved to the corner and paused a moment before rushing around.

"AHH!" Jaune screamed as Ashton slammed him into the wall.

"Oh shit, It's just you. . .Sorry." Ashton said letting him go. Pyrrha who had almost tackled Ashton looked relieved.

"You guys alright?" Ren asked from behind Pyrrha.

"Fine. . .Dazed, But fine. You?"

"Good." Jaune said. "Hey, Any idea what's going on? There's explosions, Smoke, Gunfire, A bunch of strange airships. Is this a terrorist attack?"

"Terrorists? It's the damn Covenant."

"Jeez. . ." Jaune said as his eyes went wide.

"Covenant?" Ren asked.

"Look, Jaune. I'm going to my room to get geared up, Do me a favor and give your team a run down on what the Covenant is." Ashton said as he unlocked his door and went inside. "Y'all might want to take cover in here, You won't want to be out in the open." He said as the others started filling into the room.

Ruby, Being the last one in pushed the door shut. "This is terrible."

"How are we even supposed to fight back against that, That tech is clearly more advanced than nearly anything we have."

"Well, Bullets tended to work for me. A MAC round every now and then never hurt though." Ashton said as he started to strip off the school uniform.

"MAC?" Weiss said as she looked down at the floor, Clearly Ashton was embarrassing her by changing.

"Magnetically Accelerated Cannon, It was our best weapon against the Covenant ships, It's kind of like that rifle I picked up in the forest, But on a MUCH larger scale." Ashton said as he zipped on the BDU suit.

Minutes later, Ashton was almost done slipping on his armor, Jaune was also wrapping up explaining the Covenant to his team when they heard a scream from down the hall.

"That sounded close." Blake said, Everyone went quiet.

"Shh." Ashton said as he pulled his helmet onto his head, He grabbed his M7S and went over to the door. He slowly slid it open and peeked his head out. On his left there was a female student, She seemed to be leaning against the wall but she was screaming. That's when the Brute materialised, It was holding her against the wall before unsheathing a giant knife.

"No!" The student screamed before the Brute slammed the blade into her gut and letting her fall onto the floor. Her blood spattered onto it's armor before it cloaked again. Ashton quickly ducked his head back inside as it turned.

"What's out there?" Pyrrha whispered.

"A Brute. . .But it's a Stalker."

"What does that mean?" Weiss asked in a low voice.

"It means it's cloaked, We can't see it, Which makes it hard to kill. Now shh." Ashton said.

They all sat in silence, There was a thump every time the Brute took a step down the hall.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

Ashton moved into a position parallel to the door, He picked up his SRS and aimed it, The thumping stopped outside the door. He looked at the others, Their faces either showed fear or uncertainty. Ashton held his hand infront of his visor signalling for them to keep quiet just a little longer. But Ruby, Not content with having to sit still for such a long period of time, fidgeted and caused a small bump that echoed in the silence.

BOOM!

The door flew open off of it's hinges and everyone started screaming, Ashton tensed his finger on the trigger and waited for the right moment. He watched as the floating blood stain entered the room and fired, The round hit the ape-like creature in it's side and caused it's cloak to deactivate, The purplish-red blood spurted out the other side of the Brute and went all over the wall as the bullet exited. The Brute fell back and leaned against the wall as it recovered from the shock of being hit, It looked up at Ashton and raised it's Plasma Rifle. He quickly sent another 14.5x114mm AP-FS-DS round through the Brute Stalker's cycloptic helmet.

"Jeez!" Jaune said, Covering his ears. It was unclear to Ashton if he was commenting on the great amount of noise generated by firing such a large caliber weapon in such a close quarters environment, Or the massive amount of blood on the wall.

"You broke it!" Nora said.

"Alright, Look. We need to get moving, Stalkers are special ops, They rarely travel alone." Ashton said as he slung both the SRS and the M99 over his shoulders, He slid his M6S onto his hip, And he kept his M7S in a tight grip. "But before we go, Get a good look, This is the enemy, He is fierce, Savage, And brutal. He will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. . .kill all of us. Remember that, A Covvie is not like you and me, It is a target that must die, Think of it like those creatures y'all hunt." He said as he gestured to the remains of the Brute, Slumped on the floor.

"We're getting armed now?" Weiss asked.

"Precisely, All of you stick close to me, If someone gets hit, Don't stop for them, You're basically dead if you get hit by a plasma weapon, And if a Spiker nails you, I can't do much in the way of saving you, You'll just die of blood loss." They all stacked up behind Ashton, Not liking what they were hearing, But accepting it. "Ready? Go!"

**UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant, July 16th -**

"General, We've finished running scans of the planet, As per your request."

"And?"

"The scans have shown us that the planet is indeed populated, Heavily populated. A slightly advanced civilization from the size of their cities. Unfortunately, Sir. The Covenant have already begun landings on several parts of the planet but the main force is located here." The crewman explaining to General Cato focused on one part of the map they created. "With the majority of Covenant forces landing here, Casualties for the local population are estimated to be in the hundred thousands in the first five hours, The millions by the end of tomorrow The billions by the end of the week."

"This, Local population, Any information on them, A new kind of species?"

"Negative, Sir. The local population appears to be Human."

"And you're sure we're not in UNSC space?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Alright, Dismissed."

"Dismissed, Aye aye, Sir." The crewman said, Turning and leaving General Cato and Lieutenant Murray.

"Well?" General Cato said looking to the Lieutenant.

"It appears everything was correct, If we're not in an alternate world, We've been transported to an unexplored part of space, The alternate world would better explain a human population though."

"The question remains though."

"The question?"

"Do we intervene, Or not?"

"Of course we intervene. We can't just have the Covenant kill off a species of Humans just because they're not OUR humans, General."

"Well, Let's hope we can save some lives, Lieutenant." General Cato said as he pressed a button sending the map data they scanned of the planet to all UNSC personnel. "I want 22nd Shock Troops on the ground, Backed up by the 20th Marines, and 56th Marine Armored Battalion. Dispatch 25th Fighter Wing and 129th Strike Wing for support." General Cato spoke into a microphone, Distributing the orders to a crewman, Who would then send them where they needed to go.

"Another war. . ."

"No, Lieutenant. . .It's the same war. . .and we're ending it."

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 16th -, Beacon Academy, Remnant, Twenty Minutes Later**

"Let's go, Let's go!" Ashton encouraged the group as they finally made it to the locker room. _"Thankfully, No casualties."_ He thought to himself. Although they had seen plenty Covenant forces on the way they made it without any major engagements.

"Power's out!" Ruby yelled, She couldn't open her locker because without power there was no keypad.

"Let me see." Ashton said walking over, He looked the locker up and down before finally taking out his machete. He wedged it in the space between the door and the wall of the locker and moved it up and down. "Almost. . . .got it!" He yelled as the door flew open, Crescent Rose fell out at his feet.

"Thanks." Ruby said.

"No problem, Now get suited up while I get the other lockers open." Ashton said walking off. He stopped to pry everyone's lockers open, Most of them gave him a quick thanks before he moved on, That was until he got to Weiss, Of course.

"I don't need your help, I can do this."

"Is now the best time for this, Really?"

"Yes, It is. I don't need your help."

"If her majesty insists, Good luck." Ashton said with a mock bow and a step back. Ashton watched her struggle to get her fingers between the door of the locker and laughed.

"Stop laughing!" She said turning towards him suddenly. "It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just find that someone refusing help in a situation like this, Where we could die, Is hilarious. But here, I won't directly help by opening it for you, But if you want the machete it's here for you to use." Ashton said holding out his machete.

Weiss looked at the machete, Up at Ashton, Back to the machete, And then back up to Ashon one more time before snatching the machete from his hand. He laughed again as she tried to pry the locker open but was still having trouble, That was until he turned his head and saw the small grey creature walk through the door.

"JAUNE, REN, GET THAT DOOR SHUT!" Ashton yelled as he charged the creature.

"Bwah! No shoot! No shoot!" The Grunt yelled in broken english as Ashton tackled him to the ground.

"What is that thing!?" Jaune asked as he and ren pushed the door to the locker room shut, There was some banging on the other side.

Ashton depolarized the visor of his helmet and looked the Grunt in the eyes, He let a smile cross his face as he crushed the mask allowing the Grunt to breath along with it's jaw. It let out muffled screams of pain but could no longer form words.

"Ashton, What is that thing. . .come on answer me."

"This is. . .a Grunt. . .One separated from its group. . .The mainstay infantry of the Covenant. . ." Ashton kept pausing to suppress his laughter as he ripped the mask off of the Grunt and tossed it aside, It began gasping for the methane it needed to breathe. Ashton giggled as it clawed at the tubes leaking the green gas, Trying to get them over to it's mangled mouth.

"Is he giggling?" Ren whispered to Jaune.

"I think. . .I think so."

"The REAL fun thing to do with Grunts is this, You separate them from their methane supply, They breathe methane, The thing with methane is. . ." Ashton paused and got up, He took three steps back away from the creature writhing on the floor. "It sparks." He drew his M6S and fired a single shot, Igniting the methane. The Grunt exploded, Spraying it's blue blood across the room. Most of it hitting Ashton and covering his chest armor with bright blue splatters.

Most of team RWBY and JNPR looked at him, Horrified at what he had just done. Blake, Weiss, Ren, and Pyrrha remained indifferent but looked concerned.

"Jeez. . ." Yang said.

"Alright, Crack it open." Ashton said turning to Jaune and Ren.

"Huh?"

"You heard me, Crack the door open."

"There are more of those little things on the other side, Why would we open it?!" Jaune asked.

"Jaune, I think I gave a very good example of methane breathers not being the best choice of infantry. . .remember they go boom?" Ashton said as he produced an M9 HEDP Grenade. "Just a teency crack, Come on?"

Jaune and Ren pulled the metal door back just wide enough. Ashton's visor was still depolarized and they could see the look of joy on his face as he primed and rolled the grenade through the space.

"Might wanna back up!" Ashton yelled as he dived away from the door, Jaune and Ren did the same. There was a small pause before a loud boom as the grenade detonated tanks of methane. The door blew inward going over Ashton and landed, It slid towards Nora who jumped on top of it and rode it to a stop.

"Again!" She yelled cheerfully.

Ashton was all business, He was on his feet and out the door in a matter of moments, Scanning the hall for any survivors.

"Is it. . .is it safe?" Jaune said as he peaked his head out the door.

"We're clear, Both of you get out here and help me secure a perimeter." Ashton said as he turned his head to Jaune.

"Effective." Ren said in a calm voice as he stepped over the remains of a Grunt, Jaune held his hand over his mouth as he tried not to vomit.

"Affirmative, Grunts have never been great at combat, But in large groups they're deadly. Luckily their greatest weakness is the Methane they breathe. It really cripples Covenant troop movements if the Grunts can't get their Methane."

"I've been meaning to ask you. . ." Ren said.

"Hmm?"

"Ever since Jaune explained everything to us earlier, This ODST thing."

"What about it?"

"You drop in a metal pod from space right on top of enemy positions, I can't comprehend a person willingly doing that. What if you were cut off, Your only escape would be to go up. . .and that's impossible."

"In another moment down went Alice after it, Never once considering how in the world she was to get out again."

"Hmm?" Ren said, Puzzled at the response.

"It's a quote from an old book, I'm very fond of it. In that part the character, Alice, Chases a rabbit down it's hole. The Covenant are the rabbit, ODSTs are Alice. We chase them down their hole, Not caring how. . .or if we come back out. Our motto is 'Feet first into hell' for a reason." Ashton said as he turned his attention back down the hall.

"Ugh. . .These things smell terrible." Jaune commented about the dead Grunts as he put a hand over his mouth so he wouldn't vomit again.

"You get used to it."

"It still smells terrible." Ruby said from behind Ashton, Ashton spun around and instinctively had his M7S in Ruby's face.

"Jesus. . ." Ashton commented as he lifted his gun into the air. "One of these days, Ruby. . .I swear I'm gonna end up shooting you if you keep sneaking up on me."

"Sorry, Anyway the others should be good to move in a minute."

"Sounds good, It'll be handy having some extra fighters." Ashton said as Ruby looked down at the floor.

"Ashton?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

"Has this. . .always been what it's like?" She asked looking up.

"Hmm?"

"These Covenant, They've always done this? Killed innocent people without care? Slaughtering every member of a species?"

"Yup." Ashton said with a sigh. " Always been this way. . .I mean right now you guys are getting off easy."

"What do you mean?" Ren asked.

"I mean, They're not glassing our asses, So count your lucky stars."

"Glassing?"

"I swear I explained it. . .Yes, Glassing. They'll use superheated plasma to burn the surface of the planet, Making it unable to support life. We call it glassing because the burned surface becomes glass like."

"Oh. . ." Ruby's voice trailed off.

"Were you expecting the Covenant to follow you?" Yang said as she walked out into the hall.

"Negative, I've spent enough time here that I wasn't expecting to be pursued. . .at least. . .not by a force this size."

"Hey, Nothing you could do about it, Right?" Yang said as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Nope. . .unless y'all had some orbital defence platforms floating around by any chance?"

"That'd be a no."

"Then it couldn't have been helped."

As they waited Nora, Pyrrha, and Blake exited the room.

"Alright, Time to go." Blake said.

"Okay, Lock and load, Don't group up, I've seen some of y'all in ground combat, The Covenant should be fairly simple for you to kill. An air war on the othe- Wait. . .we're missing a certain princess." Ashton said as he noticed Weiss was missing, The building rocked from an explosion.

"She must still be in there." Yang said.

"Rog, I'll grab her, Y'all get ready to move." Ashton said as he went back into the locker room. He looked around but couldn't see anyone. He scanned his surroundings with his M7S and activated his VISR. "Weiss? You alive?" Ashton called as he moved forward slowly, He peaked his gun around every corner before advancing.

"_Better check over by her locker._" Ashton thought as he kept moving forward. When Ashton rounded the corner to where Weiss's locker was he stopped dead in his tracks, What he saw next made him fear for his life. . .not a common thing among ODSTs.

Standing before Ashton was Weiss, Half naked, Putting on her top. He took a step back and stood there in silence, They stared at eachother for a moment.

"Son of a bi-" Ashton started to say as he realised how screwed he was. Weiss's face had, At this point, Slowly filled up to being a very bright shade of red. After finally taking in the situation, Weiss screamed and drew Myrtenaster, She sent him flying across the room with a glyph. Ashton landed at the feet of Yang who was looking down at him and laughing.

"Fucking dammit. . .my back. . .why the fuck are you laughing?" Ashton asked Yang as he looked up, She just kept laughing. "Wait. . .you fucking knew this would happen. . .didn't you?" Ashton asked again.

"Y-yes!" Yang said between laughs.

"Then why the fuck didn't you stop me!?"

"Because it was. . .hilarious!" Yang said between laughs. "Oh my god, That was amazing. She flung you so far!"

"I'm never. . .trusting you. . .again." Ashton said as he stood up.

"Oh come on, You probably got a real nice view out of it, I got a good laugh. Here to make it up to you I'll let you see mine."

"Yang, Just stop. . .please. I'm trying to focus on fighting a war here. . .I could care less." He said as he made his way back into the hallway.

"What was that scream?" Ruby asked him as he came back out into the hall.

"I don't. . .wanna talk about it."

"Why not?"

"I just. . .don't." Ashton paused to catch his breath due to recent events. "Alright, If we're all ready to move NOW." Ashton said as Weiss and Yang exited the locker room, Weiss refused to look at Ashton. "Keep your spacing and move fast, Let's go!"

**UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant, July 16th -**

"Status report?" General Cato asked.

"Marines are in contact with Covenant forces now, Sir."

"Good, Any signs of the Covenant ship?"

"No, Sir. We've still been unable to identify the Covenant vessel, They're either cloaked or hiding somewhere."

"Alright., The 20th Marines. . .what's their status?"

"Currently engaged with Covenant forces at. . .Sir, I have a Captain Dubois on the line, 20th Marines, Charlie Company."

"Put him on." General Cato said s the Captain came up on the screen.

"Sir, Captain Dubois. We've found dead ODSTs in the forest where we landed, We're currently in contact with Covenant forces."

"Can you confirm whether or not these are the missing ODSTs, Captain?"

"Affirmative, Sir. We have confirmed these are the missing ODSTs, More importantly, Sir, We have picked up a single contact on IFF one and a half klicks to the north west, We are unable to proceed to it though."

"Unable to proceed, Captain?"

"We have a ninety degree slope in front of us, Sir." Captain Dubois said as a plasma bolt seared near his head.

"Alright, Captain. You should have some CAS on station in a moment, Then we'll see about getting you to that IFF contact." General Cato said.

"Roger, Sir. We'll hold for now." Captain Dubois said as he cut the call.

**[A/N: IFF = Identification Friend or Foe]**

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 16th -, Beacon Academy, Remnant**

"Fucking christ!" Ashton yelled as a plasma bolt nearly nailed him, Team RWBY, JNPR, and Ashton had come into contact with a platoon sized unit of Covenant forces when they tried to cross a courtyard.

"Watch out!" Ruby yelled as she cut a Brute in half with Crescent Rose, It had almost gotten Ashton with it's red Plasma Rifle.

"Thanks, Good to know I have you on my six." Ashton said as he switch to another piece of cover, Nora gleefully weaved between plasma and needler fire as she ran amok in a squad of Grunts, Blowing them to smithereens and crushing the unfortunate last one.

"Don't mention it, Where are we headed?!" Ruby asked as she switched Crescent Rose into it's sniper form and took a pot shot at some Jackals.

"Those landing pads from the other day, Hopefully there are still some ships we can use to get out of here." Ashton said as Blake cut down a pair of Jackals.

"Great, But none of us know how to fly." Yang said as she took cover next to him.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Ashton responded as he leaned out of cover to take a shot with his SRS, The round connected with a Brute and sent it's Spiker flying into the air as it fell over backwards. Pyrrha and Jaune were taking cover not too far away, Pyrrha was doing more of the shooting back while Jaune stuck in cover more due to his lack of a ranged weapon.

"It's starting to get a bit too tight in this courtyard, We need to think about moving." Ren said as he fired his weapon.

"Rog, We've stuck in the killzone long enough, Start egressing towards the archway over there, Then we'll make a dash for the landing pads." Ashton said as he stood up out of cover, He fired a few burst from his M7S as he backed up before ducking behind a column to cover the others. The members of Team RWBY and JNPR systematically started falling back so they could leave the area, The Covenant forces started to do the same though.

"They're falling back?" Weiss said as she took cover next to Ashton.

"That's. . .not good. . .let's not stick around." He responded as a loud BOOM sounded.

"What the hell. . .is that. . ." Jaune said as the pair of Hunters lumbered into the courtyard.

"Hunters. . ." Ashton muttered as he took out the M99 SASR.

"They're so. . .big." Pyrrha said.

One of the Hunters in the pair stopped to fire it's Assault Cannon.

"Hit the deck!" Ashton yelled as he dived to the ground, The bolt went high and hit the building above the group. Ren, Pyrrha, Blake, and Ruby all fired their weapons at the Hunter but the rounds harmlessly bounced off the armor.

"How are we supposed to get through that armor?" Jaune asked as another shot from an Assault Cannon hit nearby.

"We don't, Our options are either to run away or try and flank them and hit them from the rear. The second option is gonna be difficult, They travel in pairs for a reason."

"But if we run they'll just keep chasing us." Ruby said.

"Mhmm, That's why we call them Hunters."

"So, How will we get around their flank then?" Weiss asked.

"If one group of distracts them, The other can get around and hit their rear, Sound good?" Ashton asked, Everyone nodded. "Let's hit it!"

Team JNPR broke cover and began firing their weapons to distract the Hunters, Nora's grenades caused one Hunter to stumble for a second allowing Ruby and Ashton to come up behind it. Ruby fired Crescent Rose into it's back, The Hunter spinned around in rage and nearly missed the two of them. Pyrrha and Ren took advantage of the Hunter showing them it's back and peppered it with gunfire. The other Hunter, Realising it's partner was in trouble, Turned to assist it. But Yang and Blake stopped it from moving in by attacking it from the front, Distracted with fighting the two girls the Hunter didn't see Weiss come up behind it as she stabbed into it's back.

Meanwhile with the first Hunter, It turned to face Ren and Pyrrha again allowing Ashton to shove an M9 HEDP grenade into it's back, He pushed Ruby to the ground before diving as the creature exploded, Sending it's orange blood everywhere. The second Hunter was going berserk, With Weiss having stabbed it and Yang and Blake in front of it. It flailed it's giant shield trying to hit Yang and fired one final shot from it's Assault Cannon before succumbing to it's wounds.

"Oh. . .never again. . ." Jaune said as he bent over to catch his breath.

"Don't worry, We're just getting started, You did good though." Ashton said as he patted Jaune on the shoulder.

"What now?" Ruby said, Barely drained of energy from the fight.

"Landing pads, We're figuring a way out of here, Come on." Ashton said as he motioned for everyone to follow him.

The group made their way through the school grounds, Smoke waved through the air that was thick with the smell of fire and death. Ashton stepped over the bodies of a group of students, Most had plasma wounds on their backs. In the middle of a courtyard they passed there was a crashed Banshee with it's tail end sticking up into the air, A purple fire burning out of the top.

The dead were everywhere, Humans, Faunus, Covenant. Bodies strewn across the ground, The sight distracted most of the members of team RWBY and JNPR, They weren't used to seeing death on a scale like this. Ashton held up his hand in a fist to stop the group, They all knelt down in the smoke.

"What is it?" Ren asked.

"I hear something." Ashton said, They all stayed quiet and listened. The occasional plasma fire or explosion could be heard in the distance but then they heard what Ashton ws hearing.

"That sounds like. . ." Blake started to say.

"People." Ashton finished, He motioned for them to follow him again. They moved toward the sound of the people, They couldn't see them in the smoke though. As they inched closer they could eventually make out the silhouettes. One clearly looked like it was in a struggle with something and the other one was laying on the ground.

When they got close enough, They realised the silhouettes were Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch. Ozpin was in a hand to hand struggle with a Jackal that had jumped him, Goodwitch had been knocked to the ground. It only took Ashton a moment to react. He punched the Jackal in the side of it's head knocking it to the ground, He kept his boot on it's chest so it couldn't move and planted two bullets into it's skull.

"Professor Ozpin! Are you okay?" Ruby asked, She looked somewhat relieved that Professor Ozpin was alive.

"I'm quite alright, Ms Goodwitch on the other hand. . ." Ozpin said as he motioned towards his colleague. Ashton looked down and saw she had a Spiker round in her arm.

"You'll need that taken out as soon as possible." Ashton said.

"Couldn't we just. . .take it out now?" Yang said.

"No, I'm no corpsman, I won't be able to do anything for her once you remove it, She may just end up bleeding out. It's better to leave it in for now, But it needs to get taken out soon."

Yang raised her pointer finger as she prepared to say something.

"By a professional." Ashton said cutting her off.

Yang lowered her pointer finger back down.

"Say, Professor. You wouldn't happen to know how to fly an airship. . .would you?"

"Why do you ask?" Professor Ozpin questioned.

"Because it's probably our best bet of getting out of here, What're you doing out here anyway."

"Once these Aliens of yours started attacking, We were trying to get as many students to safety as possible."

"Alright, But can you fly an airship?"

"Yes, I can."

"Well then, Professor. I'm gonna need you to fly us out of here. . .assuming there are any ships left."

"Assuming there are any left."

"Only one way to find out, Professor."

Pyrrha and Blake helped Goodwitch to her feet and the group made their way to the landing pads, There were a few small fires here and there and two Bullheads. One was missing a wing from an explosion and was on it's side, The other looked relatively unscathed.

"That'd be our ride out of here then." Ashton said pointing to the Bullhead.

"Incoming!" Ren yelled as he rolled out of the way, A volley of plasma bolts flew past and went high.

"Covenant patrol, Two squads! Ruby, Weiss, Cover the Professor. Pyrrha, Blake, Get Goodwitch into the Bullhead. The rest of you, On me!" Ashton said as he slid forward into cover. He lined up a shot with his SRS and shot a Grunt, It's methane pack was separated by the shot and rocketed into one of the Brutes commanding the patrol.

"Watch out!" Yang yelled as she pushed Ashton's head down, Some Spiker rounds raked the wall above him.

"Thanks." He said as he moved positions to a better location. Nora launched herself into the air, A Jackal raised it's shield to try and deflect her attack, Ren took advantage of this and shot the Jackal in the leg. Nora laughed as she came down, The shockwave of her hitting the ground launched the Jackal into a wall snapping it's neck.

"Forgive me about earlier then?" Yang said as she fired a volley of shots, Most were deflected by Jackals but a few made contact with targets.

"I wouldn't go that far." Ashton fired two shots causing a Jackals shield to break, Yang fired another volley of shots from Ember Celica sending the Jackal flying.

"OH CRAP!" Jaune yelled, Ashton turned his head to see the other Brute on top of his position. The Brute attempted to grab Jaune but Jaune held up his shield, The Brute grabbed the shield and tossed it aside.

"Prepare to meet your Gods, Human." The Brute said as it raised it's Spiker. Ashton's SRS and M7's magazines were empty, He switched to his M6S and fired four shots into the chest of the Brute causing it to take a step back. Jaune took advantage of this and hacked off the Brute's hand that was holding the Spiker. The Brute became enraged and punched Jaune square in his chest sending him flying backwards, It rushed forward and placed it's foot on Jaune's chest.

"Die dammit!" Ashton yelled as he emptied the rest of the pistols magazine into the Brute, It stumbled back again, The adrenaline rush it had was wearing off. Yang prepared to fire a volley of shots but Ashton stopped her. Jaune pushed himself up onto his feet, He rushed forward with his sword and ran it through the Brute' chest. The Brute tried to clench Jaune in it's one hand but succumbed to it's wounds before it could do anything. Jaune dropped to his knees, Exhausted from what he just accomplished.

"Jaune, Are you alright?" Ren asked as he shot a pair of Grunts.

"I'm. . .I'm fine. . ."

"Come on, Big man. We're getting out of here. Start falling back to the aircraft!" Ashton yelled as he helped Jaune to his feet, He put Jaune's arm over his shoulder and helped him walk. The other's covered them as they fell back.

"What happened!?" Pyrrha yelled, Concerned at seeing Jaune was wounded.

"Took a punch to the chest from a Bravo Kilo, He'll be fine. Professor, Are we good to go yet?"

"Yes, Everything seems in check, We're ready to take off."

"Then get us out of here." Ashton said as he finished laying Jaune down onto the floor, Yang, Nora, and Ren climbed in.

The Bullhead lifted into the air as a few plasma bolts seared past, the occasional Spiker or Needler roun also made contact with the hull but did little to stop the takeoff. Professor Ozpin throttled up and the aircraft sped away from Beacon. As they flew away thy could see giant plumes of smoke rising above the academy. An explosion went off in Beacon Tower and the top of it started to break off and fall. Ruby looked away, She didn't want to see any more of the destruction. Ashton sat down in the open side door, He took his helmet off and laid it down next to him, He looked out at the city below before closing his eyes for a moment to rest.

**UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant, July 16th -**

"General Cato, Charlie Company lead by Captain Dubois has made their way to where the IFF was picked up but it has moved. They currently are tracking the IFF signal as moving, It's two kilometers from it's original position and still moving South East. . .fast."

"Alright, Tell Captain Dubois I want his two best squads, They'll be redesignated 'Hunter'. They'll be picked up by a Pelican, callsign 'Twisting', and will pursue. They are to secure the source of the IFF which we will now designate 'Fallen Angel'."

"Aye, Sir." The crewman said as he threw up a salute before turning on his heels and leaving.

"General Cato, Having fun, I see."

"Lieutenant Murray, I think we both realise we don't have time for small little chit-chats, Isn't there something you should be doing."

"My work is done, General. I've made my preparations for when we retrieve the ODSTs I need."

"Lieutenant, You saw the report. We've secured the bodies of most of the missing ODSTs."

"Most is the key word, General. I've gone over the names of the dead. Corporal Dommer and Lance Corporal Montoya not among them."

"Montoya is dead, Lieutenant. We've gone over the numbers. He's dead. . .we just don't have a body."

"Well. . .that complicates things, But only slightly. Corporal Dommer, However. Is not among the dead, He has to be that IFF we picked up. So I've finished my preparations for when we retrieve him, Because your Marines WILL retrieve him."

"Lieutenant. . .You still haven't explained to me why you need him. Until then he is still under my command."

"General, What ONI has planned for him may be the key to the future of the human race. The key to our very survival, We may be beating back the Covenant but there are other threats out there, General. ONI understands that, And in the situation we're in now. Having him here would greatly benefit our chances of survival."

"Human survival? Lieutenant, The file read SPARTAN-IV."

"The file did indeed read that, Sir. It is not a lie, What we need him for is related to the SPARTAN program. . .just not in the way you may think, General."

"Very well, Lieutenant. Do what you need. . .When he is retrieved. . .Corporal Dommer will be transferred under your command."

"Thank you, General. This decision will greatly benefit all of us."

"As for you, Commander Palmer." General Cato said to the Spartan Commander behind Lieutenant Murray. The Lieutenant had not been aware of Palmer's presence and jumped when the Spartan spoke.

"General, My Spartans are tired of sitting around, We want in the fight."

"Very well, Commander. Get your best Spartans, You'll be joining Hunter in the recollection of the IFF signal which we are now sure is Corporal Dommer. Head down to the hangar to RV with Twisting."

"Thank you, Sir." Commander Palmer said as she put on her helmet, She turned and left the room to gather her Spartans and meet up with the Pelican.

"Whatever your plan for him is, Lieutenant. . .It better be worth it."

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 16th -, Over City of Vale, Remnant**

"Mr Dommer, Would you mind coming up here for a moment?" Professor Ozpin asked from the cockpit. Ashton opened his eyes and stood up, He unslung all of his weapons and stood up, He stepped over Ruby and Yang and leaned his head into the cockpit.

"What's up?"

"Where exactly should we be headed?" Professor Ozpin asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Where do you want me to fly us?"

"Well. . .I really don't know the terrain. I'd assume just away from this city would do."

"You need to take into account the fact that we'll need shelter, Food, Water. The essentials of survival, These Aliens being everywhere doesn't help the situation."

"Well, Other cities are ruled out. There would definitely be a Covenant presence."

"We could head fo- Oh my. . ." Professor Ozpin was in awe for a moment as three Scarabs dropped from the sky and landed in Vale.

"Left! Left! Go left!" Ashton yelled, They almost flew into one of the Scarabs. The crew onboard of the Scarab fired at them with the mounted Plasma turrets, Thankfully though they didn't bother with the main cannon, That was busy firing into buildings.

"What is that thing!?" Ruby yelled, She was starting to get overwhelmed with everything going on.

"A Scarab, Professor just fly us as far away from here as you can!"

"On it." Professor Ozpin said as he changed course.

"If we need somewhere to head." Weiss said as she stood up. "I know a place we could go."

"You sure?" Ashton asked as he turned his head to look at her.

"Yes, Professor Ozpin, You need to go to this grid on the map, Go North East."

Ashton got out of the cockpit and pulled the door of the Bullhead shut before sitting down, He looked at everyone in the dim red light, He studied their faces. Pain, Exhaustion, Anger. He noticed all of those emotions on all of their faces, But most of all they all felt fear.

**A/N: And that wraps up another chapter, I've been a bit busy but I got this out as fast as I could. I hope you enjoyed the RWBY worlds first contact with the Covenant, Because we're gonna be seeing them for a while. Also if anyone picked up on it, Yes, The Battle of Glasserine Pass is a reference towards the Battle of Kasserine Pass in World War II. I didn't exactly sugar coat hiding Erwin Rommel "The Desert Fox" as Derwin Crommel a fox faunus. Yeah, I should probably work on the creativity in that department. . .But anyway, Hope you enjoyed the chapter and enjoy your morning/ day/ afternoon/ evening/ night or whenever you're reading this.**


	5. Act 1, Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Halo they are respectively owned by Rooster Teeth and 343 Industries**

(Text / Speech)

**(Flashbacks / Author Notes / Video Recordings)**

_(Thoughts)_

**Chapter 5: Fallen Angels**

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 16th -, In flight to unknown location, Remnant**

Ashton leaned the back of his head against the cold metal wall of the Bullhead after he took off his helmet, He watched the dim red light that was washing over him and everyone else inside. He examined his helmet, There were specks of blood in varying colors all over it, Orange, Blue, Purple, And finally. . .red.

"_What a mess_." Ashton thought, That was until he looked down and realised his chest was also caked in blood. Weiss entered back into the rear of the Bullhead after giving Professor Ozpin full instructions on where to fly.

"So where exactly are we headed?" Ashton asked her as she sat down across from him, The space was cramped, The Bullhead clearly wasn't meant for carrying this many people in it's rear unlike a Pelican.

"I told him to fly us to a summer home my family has in the countryside, I figured it should be safe enough. It's a fair distance from Vale and in a good location."

"Sounds good, Must be nice to be rich." Ashton said as he looked over to Ren and Pyrrha who were looking over Goodwitch. "You know, You're one tough bitch, Took a Spiker to the arm and you're fine." He remarked.

"Please refrain from using such derogatory words when referring to me." Glynda said as she sat up, She had a stern look on her face.

"Derogatory? That was a compliment, I said you were a tough bitch. Not you are a bitch like an insult." Ashton sighed as he leaned his head back again. "You people worry too much about the finer things, Like the meaning of a word, What you're going to do tomorrow, How you'll do it, Etcetera etcetera."

"Are you trying to say you don't think of things like that?" Blake said quizzically.

"That's just it, I don't think, I react."

"Oh, We all knew you don't think." Weiss said. This prompted a few laughs, Ashton opened one eye and thought about giving a comeback but just sighed.

"You'll all need to learn to stop thinking eventually. With the Covenant around thoughts just get in your way, Just take everything that comes at you and react instinctively. . .appropriately . Adapt, Survive, Overcome."

"I'll prefer to keep thinking." Weiss said.

"Your choice, Dead girl." Ashton said as he took out his machete and began examining the blade.

**Commander Sarah Palmer, July 16th -, RVing with callsign "Twisting"**

"Alright, Spartans, We'll be working with a unit of Marines to retrieve one of the ODSTs that went missing. He is the only ODST lost here to survive and ONI has taken a particular interest in him, So we WILL retrieve him alive, Clear?" Commander Palmer said to her team of Spartans as they climbed aboard the Pelican.

"Clear, Ma'am." They all responded.

"Evenin', Ma'am. I'll be your pilot today, Twisting."

"General Cato has assured me you're a good pilot."

"Oh please, Ma'am, I can guarantee we won't crash. . .probably. You and the other tin men just sit pretty back there and we'll see about retrieving our ODST friend."

Commander Palmer looked doubtful as she slipped on her helmet, Not an emotion she felt often.

"Godfather, This is Twisting, Ready for launch." The pilot said as he took his seat, He flipped a few switches and the back ramp closed.

"Roger that, Twisting. Clear for launch, She's all yours." A voice came over the radio. The D79H-TC Pelican lifted up off of the deck and slowly moved out into space, The Pelican began gliding through the vacuum of space towards Remnant. "You're away and clear, Twisting." The voice came over the radio again.

"Roger that, We're in the pipe and descending, Will hook up with the second element of Hunter, Copy that, Overlord?" The pilot said to a second person over the radio.

"Overlord copies all, Out."

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 16th -, Unknown location, Remnant**

"We're here." Ashton awoke to Weiss's voice.

"Is it crawling with Covvies?" He asked not opening his eyes.

"Of course not." She said annoyed. "This place is perfectly safe. We're miles away from Vale." She said as Ashton stood up, Everyone else began to slowly stand and face the side of the aircraft where the door was as they descended.

"Here we are." Professor Ozpin said from the cockpit, There was a signature lurch Ashton was very familiar with as the aircraft touched down, Ashton pushed the door up and let the sunlight flood into the Bullhead. They were fairly high up Ashton noted as he stepped out of the aircraft, They appeared to be on the roof of a large structure. There was a noticeable cloud of black smoke off in the distance that seemed to go for miles into the sky.

"Must be Vale. . ." Ashton noted as Ruby and Yang exited the aircraft, Ruby looked at the ground and tried to ignore the smoke.

"We'll be safe here for a while." Weiss said as she stepped out, Followed by Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha and Ren who helped Goodwitch out, and finally Ozpin.

"We'd hope. . ." Ashton said. "No telling which way those Covvies are headed." He held his helmet loosely in one hand and his M7 in his other, He left his SRS and SASR in the Bullhead as the group made their way to an access door on the roof. As they walked along Ashton looked off over the side, There was a fountain in front of the building with a roundabout going around it that connected to a long road. Some distance off he could see a large metal fence and a gate.

"Halt." Suddenly Ashton was snapped out of his observations. Standing in front of him were two robots, They stood a foot taller than Ashton and were colored a bright white. "Identify yourself."

"The fuck is this?" Ashton said as he turned around, He had somehow ended up at the front of the group.

"AK-130 Androids, Standard security drones, And stop talking like that." Weiss said nonchalantly. "Deactivate." She said turning to the drone.

"Identify yourself." The drone said, Still fixated on Ashton.

"The Queen of England." Ashton responded, Taking an immediate disliking to the drone.

"Code black lockdown is in effect, All unauthorized personnel will be killed on sight." The drone said as it's face area turned from a light blue to a bright red, It raised it's left arm as it turned into a blade.

"Aw, For fucks sake. . ." Ashton thought aloud, Thinking fast he hit the drone in the side of the head with his helmet causing it to stagger back, He then pressed his M7S's barrel into the gut area of the drone and let the full magazine rip into it, The force sent the drone off of the side of the building and tumbling to the ground below.

"Whoa. . ." Jaune said.

"Come have a go if you think you're hard enough." Ashton said turning to the other drone, It only responded by turning it's hand into a gatling style gun. "Son of a b-"

"ENOUGH, Deactivate." A male voice sounded from seemingly all around, The drone immediately deactivated, Ashton let the empty magazine of caseless 5x23mm full metal jacket ammunition fall to the floor with a clatter as he slid in a new one. Weiss's eyes seemed to go a bit wide as everyone else seemed confused.

"I coulda' fucking had him. . ." Ashton muttered to himself as he slung his M7S.

"Now that all of you have made quite the entrance, Please head inside. Do call next time in advance before you come, Weiss. I would have had the drones deactivated." The voice sounded again, Ashton deduced it was probably coming from a PA system, It was also very likely they were being observed by some sort of camera system.

"Friend of yours?" Ashton asked, Turning to Weiss. She pushed past him without saying a word.

"Oooh, That drone musta' been expensive, She won't even talk to you." Yang said, Ashton responded with a shrug.

"Just. . .everyone. . .please, Head inside." Weiss said, She sounded more like she was pleading than asking. The group started to file through a door on the roof when Ashton stopped in front of the deactivated drone.

"What'd you guys say these things were again." He said as he waves his hand in front of it's 'face' which was now colorless.

"AK-130 Androids, Like Weiss said, They're basically the standard security drone used for just about everything. I heard the company that makes them is coming out with an improved version." Blake said.

"Yeah, The goal is to remove as many people from the battlefield as possible." Jaune said, Causing Ashton to break out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Blake asked.

"Remove people from the battlefield, That's real funny."

"Well, You have all this. . .futuristic stuff, You don't have things like these?" Ruby asked, Curious as she turned around to face him.

"Oh, We had things like this. . .500 years ago. 21st century was a whole fucking craze about automated warfare. . .then we realised it was fucking stupid."

"How was it stupid?"

"You can't hack a human, Robots work great for aerial recon and explosive ordnance disposal. . .beyond that. . .well, what's the fucking point? Bad guy'll just hack his way into your system, Turn it against you, Then you've quite literally fucked yourself with your own creation." Ashton said as he went through the door.

**Commander Sarah Palmer, July 16th -, In flight to RV with other element of "Hunter"**

"Sit tight back there, Things are about to get rough." The pilot called, To RV with the other element of 'Hunter' they needed fly through a city located nearby, The Covenant were all over it. They definitely dominated the skies here.

"Define rough." Commander Palmer growled over the comm.

"Like. . .two Banshee's on our tail rough." Almost immediately after saying that the aircraft rocked from the incoming fire.

"Twisting, This is Captain Dubois, We see you, Bring 'em in this way and we'll get those Banshee's off of you." The comms crackled.

"Roger that." The Pelican shifted to the right and flew straight towards a large group of structures on top of a cliff, As the Banshee's shifted to line up another barrage of fire one burst into flames. A rocket from an M41 SSR MAV/AW had the Banshee downed in an instant, The other Banshee peeled off, The pilot knowing better than to press his luck.

"You're clear, Twisting."

"Thanks, I owe you many beers." The pilot said as he set the Pelican down on the cliff. The rear hatch dropped and the setting sunlight flooded in. Commander Palmer and the four Spartans she brought with her stepped out while the pilot made sure his systems were still intact.

"Fancy. . ." One of the Spartans commented as they looked around at the buildings around them.

"Bet the place has seen better days." The other one said as she punched the first one to talk's shoulder.

"I bet it has Spartans." Captain Dubois said as he approached the small group. The Marines of Charlie Company were spread around the area in defensive positions, The M41 crew that had shot down the Banshee could be seen reloading their launcher.

"Captain Dubois, I presume." Commander Palmer said as she removed her helmet and held out her hand to shake.

"Commander Palmer, Ma'am." The Captain said as he shook her hand.

"Your two squads that'll be joining us ready to go?" She asked.

"Yes, Ma'am." Captain Dubois said motioning towards a group of Marines, The Marines got up and began loading into the Pelican. One came over and stood next to Captain Dubois. "This is Staff Sergeant Santiago, He'll be working with you."

"Ma'am." The Marine said, He was clearly a combat veteran and looked dependable.

"Good to have you aboard, Load in Staff Sergeant."

"Aye."

Commander Palmer began to put her helmet back on when something caught her eye, A small group of what appeared to be teenagers sitting in on area against a wall, A few Marines stood nearby presumably guarding them.

"What's with that group of kids over there?" She asked pointing in their direction.

"Just kids we found here, Most of them have the same clothes on, My guess is this is. . .was a school." Captain Dubois said.

"Mmm. . . .wait. . . does that one have. . . .a tail?" Commander Palmer said a bit surprised, She could see that a blond member of the group clearly had a tail, He flicked it through the air as he seemed to jokingly push a blue haired boy onto his side.

"Yeah. . .don't understand it much myself, Ma'am. My designated marksman nearly blew that kids ass away when we first found them, Was convinced he had to be some kind of Covvie."

"Can't say I blame your DM. . .this place gets weirder by the minute, I don't drink much but after all th-AGH!" Commander Palmer was cut off as she tripped over something on the ground, Not something she did often.

"You alright?" Captain Dubois asked.

"Just fine, But what the hell. . .is this." Commander Palmer asked gesturing to the dead animal on the floor.

"Local animal species I presume, After we engaged some Bravo Kilos in the forest three of these things jumped us, This particular one nearly tore off a SAW gunner's face, Doc's fixing him up over there." The Captain said as he jabbed his thumb in the direction of a corpsman working on a Marine. "Figured we'd bring the body back, Have some egg heads run an analysis on it or something."

"Right, Sounds good. What're you gonna do with those kids?"

"Bring 'em back to the Cerberus I guess, Can't just leave people out here for the Covvies to get 'em."

"Sounds like a plan, I'll have your boys back to you by chow time. Take care of those kids."

"Take care of my Marines. . .and get that ODST back." Captain Dubois said before turning around to attend to other business, Commander Palmer stepped back into the Pelican, The Spartans and Marines were strapped in and prepped to go.

"Ready when you are, Ma'am." Staff Sergeant Santiago said.

"Let's go save us an ODST."

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 16th -, Unknown location, Remnant**

"Damn, This place is real fancy." Ashton commented as the small group made their way down the halls.

"Yeah, Never thought I'd find myself in a place like this." Jaune said.

"It is a nice place." Pyrrha said.

"Reminds you how much of a rich girl she really is." Ashton said as he wiped some sweat off of his forehead, Weiss seemed to be ignoring all the comments by everyone. "Last time I was in a place as fancy as this. . .was well. . .well there was this one time a year back, Marine Corps ball, There was this Gunny and he got real drunk, Like completely wrecked the place."

"Classy, Ash, Keepin' it classy." Yang said.

As the group turned the corner they were met by a person wearing a grey uniform standing in the middle of the hall, The person appeared to have been waiting for them.

"Ah, Ms Schnee. Rooms for your guests and yourself have been prepared. I will escort you all there."

"Thank you." Weiss said to the servant who turned on his heel and motioned for them to follow him.

"Shit, They got butlers here too. . .I really do feel like the Queen of England." Ashton said, The group followed the servant down another set of halls where he stopped in front of some rooms.

"Here we are, The ladies may head in here, And the gentlemen here. You will find everything you need in your rooms, Dinner will be served soon. Please, Relax. We'll also see about getting you some medical attention, Ma'am." The servant said to Glynda as he started to walk away but stopped. "Oh, And Ms Schnee. . .He'll want to see you. . .and him." The servant said motioning towards Ashton who responded by raising an eyebrow.

"You heard him, Please head inside your rooms, I'm sure we're all tired. . .and clearly there is business to attend to." Professor Ozpin said as he opened the door for one of the rooms. Jaune and Ren went inside with Professor Ozpin while Pyrrha, Nora, Ruby, Yang, Blake and Glynda went into the other.

"No, You heard him." Weiss said as Ashton reached for the doorknob of the boy's room. He looked at her and leaned his back against the wall.

"Now just hold up a minute, What if I don't want to meet whoever it is wants to talk to me. Tell me whoever they are first and maybe I'll think about going with you."

"Ashton, Please. . .just come with me."

"And if I say no?"

"Please. . ."

"Just tell me who this person is, It's the person who deactivated that drone right? That's fine and dandy, But it sounds like you got a bit of a personal problem with whoever it is."

"It's. . .my father alright, My father. Happy? Now you know who it is, And if my father wants to see you, You need to go and see him."

"Now why exactly does your daddy need to see me?"

"My father needs to see you because. . .just. . .if you come with me you'll know." She said looking down.

"Fine. . ." Ashton muttered as he pushed off the wall. "I don't like it though. . .not one bit."

The pair made their way through the halls, Turn after turn walking in silence. Paintings and other works of art hung on the walls, Another testament to the Schnee family's wealth. Ashton was surprised that this place was untouched, It had only been less than a day and for all he knew the Covenant had only attacked Vale so far, But he figured they would have spread out here by now.

"You weren't bullshitting when you said you were an heiress then." Ashton commented.

"No, Why would I lie about that."

"Why wouldn't you lie about it, Everyone want's to be rich."

"It's not as fun as you think it is."

"Yeah yeah, I know the story. The whole rich people have problems too thing, You have so much money it's a problem, Blah blah blah."

Weiss stared daggers at Ashton.

"Well nevermind then, We're here." Weiss said stopping in front of a huge double door.

"Let's head on in then."

"Try to refrain from the vulgar language you are so fond of when speaking to my father." Weiss said as she pushed both doors open.

The room was darker than Ashton had expected, There were other pieces of art and similar things lining the walls, At the back there was a huge window facing out the back of the building, In front of the window sat a large desk, Behind the desk was a chair spun around and facing the window.

"Ah, Weiss. It's good that you've shown up." The voice from before called. "Don't just stand there, Come in. . .bring him with you." A hand came from the side of the chair motioning them to come forward. The two of them walked up a few feet from the desk.

"Hello, Father." Weiss said.

"It's been a while now, Weiss. I'm sorry we had to finally meet each other again under such circumstances."

"Yes, Was it any better in Atlas?"

"No, These things are in Atlas too. I would say it is worse there."

"Oh. . .did Wi-"

"Your sister is fine, I had her handlers take her to Vacuo, It IS better there. . .for now."

"And you came here because. . ." Weiss's voice trailed off.

"Because I knew YOU would come here." The man on the other side of the chair paused. "And I knew by relation that would bring him here."

"Right. . ." Weiss said.

"Which brings us past all this catching up, Him."

"Talking 'bout me like I ain't even here." Ashton muttered.

"I am quite aware you are here, Corporal." The man said.

"How did you. . ."

"How did I know you are a Corporal? How do I know your name? Ashton Dommer, How do you think I know who you are, What you are. . .My daughter has told me everything she knows about you." Ashton remained silent at hearing this. "She's spoken fondly of you ever since you've shown up, I hope you know that. From day one when you first crashed on this planet she has sent me messages about the 'Warrior from Space' whom she has been intrigued by."

"Intrigued, Huh. Thought I was a gun toting vulgar mouthed idiot, Not worthy of-"

"Enough." Weiss said cutting him off.

"Now, My daughter has told me quite a bit about you."

"Alright. . ."

"She's told me everything she knows about your world. . .and now the aliens from your world, These Covenant are here killing us."

"Right. . ."

"I don't blame you for these circumstances, Mr Dommer. I wish only to help stop it."

"Okay. . ."

"If you'll trust me, There's someone you should want to meet. . .soon."

"If you don't mind me asking, Who might I be meeting. I've never been one for just being dragged everywhere."

"A military commander of this world, I know him well, Your knowledge combined with his may be able to stop these things."

"Sounds good, I'm always up for kicking some Covvie ass, Some extra fuckin' firepower and a proper military would definitely sway the fight." Weiss looked horrified that he had done the exact opposite of what she said before, Her father only began to laugh though.

"I assume you're very tired, Corporal. It's been a long day for all of us. Please head back to your room and rest. You too, Weiss."

The two of them began making their way out of the room when Weiss's father called out once more.

"And Weiss?"

"Yes, Father?"

"He is as handsome as you said he is."

**UNSC Cerberus, In high orbit over Remnant, July 16th -**

"For someone who came prepared to apparently convert someone into a Spartan. . .this place looks pretty bare." General Cato commented as he examined the medical room Lieutenant Murray had commandeered.

"I never said I would be using much." She said as she ran her hand over a case on the counter. "Just the necessary things."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Lieutenant." General Cato said as he lit a cigar. "But, Spartans these days receive multiple implants and have to undergo surgery, No?"

"You are correct, General."

"Well, All you've got here is a case."

"It's more than a case, General." Lieutenant Murray said as she opened the small black case. "It's the solution to our problems."

"Syringes?"

"Not the syringes, But what's inside."

"Which is. . ."

"Are you familiar with nanotechnology, General?" Lieutenant Murray paused as she held up a syringe. "We've been using it since the end of the 21st century, We even use it in conjunction with MJOLNIR armor to perform repairs. . .although it requires guidance of a smart AI most of the time."

"Where are you going with this?"

"This is the next step in nanotechnology, General." Lieutenant Murray put the syringe back in the case. "The first smart nanomachines. . .they're experimental of course. . .but after Spartan augmentations subjects usually can't walk for a few days, Time we don't have, These machines cut that few days down to a few hours."

General Cato remained quiet and took a puff from his cigar before speaking. "So that's why you showed me that report earlier. . ."

"This is the future of the human race, General. Dr Halsey would be proud of the work we've. . .I've done, I'm sure of it." Lieutenant Murray said as she locked the case shut. "Now, General, If you'll leave, I need to make sure everything is set, And do try to hurry your Marines along, The sooner I can get to Corporal Dommer, The better."

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 16th -, Unknown location, Remnant**

Ashton whistled as he entered the bedroom where he Jaune, Ren, and Professor Ozpin would be staying. "Faaaaancy."

"Yes, This place does indeed show the Schnee family's wealth." Ren said as Ashton flopped down on one of the beds, It creaked under the weight of his armor.

"She said this was just a summer home though, Imagine what the main house looks like." Jaune said from where he was lying down.

"Must be nice. . .anyway, Y'all wake me up when it's time for chow, I'm gonna catch some shut eye." Ashton said.

"That sounds like a good plan." Professor Ozpin said, He was wiping a blood stain off of his face.

Ashton had only closed his eyes momentarily when Ruby sped into the room.

"AAAASHTON!" Ruby yelled as she dived onto his bed.

"JESUS CHRIST!" He yelled as he sat upright. "I WAS ABOUT TO SLEEP, WHAT THE HELL IS IT!?"

"Okay, Two things." Ruby said. "First, Yang made a mean joke and Weiss is going to kill her, Secondly, Look what I did!" Ruby said holding up crescent rose.

"I don't get it. . .what did you do?"

"Look at the scope, See."

"You. . ."

"I took the scope off of that rifle you took from the forest and stuck it on crescent rose, Isn't that cool!? I can see why you said they don't just trust anybody with this stuff! This is amazing, It gives me all kinds of readouts when I look through it." Ruby said as she pointed crescent rose at Jaune. "Jaune is 21 meters away, There is no wind in this room to compensate for, I don't have to compensate for bullet drop, and the round will penetrate through the wall behind him!"

"Please don't point that at me." Jaune said inching out of the line of fire.

"But that means you took the scope off of my M99. . ."

"Yeah, But don't worry I stuck a replacement on!"

"Bu-" Ashton decided to forget it, He rarely used the M99 anyway and didn't have a lot of ammo for it. "Moving on I guess. . .Weiss is going to kill Yang?"

"Well, Not literally, But she was pretty mad, I don't want to be in there while she's mad."

"What'd Yang even do?" Ashton asked, Ruby looked at him and then looked away.

"I shouldn't tell you."

"Whatever." Ashton yawned. "So you managed to get the scope off of an M99 and then rigged it to mount on your weapon. . .and it still can fold up, I'm impressed."

"Really!?" Ruby said.

"Yeah, I mean, That's kinda impressive, You really are a weapons freak."

"Hey!"

"So that everything then? You just wanted to show me what you did?"

"Well. . .there is one more thing."

"What's up?"

"What's it like where you're from. . . Earth." Ruby asked as she kicked her legs back and forth.

"Yeah, What is it like where you come from, Ash?" Jaune asked.

"Earth huh, I haven't seen Earth in. . .a few years at least." Ashton said.

"Why?" Ren asked, Leaning forward, He had been intrigued by where the conversation was going.

"Well, We were fighting a war. Last time I was on Earth was when we were defending it. I was about a month before my DERE when I ended up here."

"DERE?" Jaune asked.

"Date Eligible Return to Earth. Most other human worlds were gone by this point in the war, So when we rotated out most of us would just go back to Earth."

"So you were defending your home last time you were there."

"Precisely, Not the fondest memories, But at least I can say home is still around, Unlike so many others. . ."

"What was it like. . .?" Ruby asked.

"Hmmm?"

"Having to defend your home, What was it like?"

"I remember it like I just did it last week. . ."

**Lance Corporal Ashton Dommer, October 31 2552, New York City, Earth, Sol System**

"**Boo!" Ashton was awoken by Private First Class Montoya sitting across from him, Trying to keep the morale up just a bit and getting into the holiday spirit, The battle for Earth was raging on for the eleventh day now, A single CCS-class battlecruiser still hovered above New York.**

"**Fuck you, Man. I oughta shoot your ass for that, Ya dumb boot."**

"**Hey, Man, I been in the unit as long as you, Don't you go callin' me boot just because you outrank me by one."**

"**Whatever. . . ." Ashtons said as the M12 FAV rolled down the abandoned city streets.**

"**You were asleep for 45 minutes, Ya know that man?"**

"**Yeah?" Ashton said. "Guess I'm some kind of dream warrior."**

"**Nah, You're just crazy to be sleeping at a time like this."**

"**Yeah, Well I'm bored, Don't know about you, Jake, But I became an ODST to drop on the enemy from above, Not pull a frontal assault in a hog."**

"**Hey man, Just be thankful we didn't get deployed to Africa, Those guys got a drop and now they're fuckin' gone." Montoya said as he checked his MA5.**

"**What do you mean, Gone?"**

"**I mean they attacked a Covvie ship, And it jumped with them still inside, They're fucking dead. . .or worse. . ." Montoya sighed as he clicked the safety on his rifle. "Say, You were from here. . .New York, Right?"**

"**Yeah. . ."**

"**This place familiar to you?"**

"**Yeah. . .grew up not to far from here." Ashton paused as they drove past the destroyed entrance to one of the many gigantic buildings. "That. . .was where I went to school."**

"**Oh damn, Geez man, Sorry."**

"**Nah, Fuck that place." Ashton said shrugging it off. "Personally I'll thank the Bravo Kilo that did that, School was never fun." This prompted a laugh among the ODSTs in the M12.**

"**You know, You ain't a bad guy, Lance Corporal, I think I'll stick with you. . .if you don't mind."**

"**Nah, A meat shield would be nice, You absorb all the spikes, I shoot." More laughs.**

"**Cut it you two, Get a room after we clear out this Covvie outpost." Sergeant Chang growled over his mic.**

"**Nah, Sarge. If the lovely couple wants to share their happiness, Let them. I could use a laugh." Lieutenant Herrera said in a friendly tone.**

"**Aw you hear that, Lance co-" Jake was cut off by an explosion, The M12 at the front of the convoy had been hit with a fuel rod.**

"**Light 'em up!" Sergeant Chang yelled over the mic, The ODST's began firing their weapons in all directions, They had driven right into the killzone.**

"**Shit, We're boxed in!" An ODST yelled.**

"**Left! Left! Get the hogs going left!" Ashton yelled. "Outta the killzone!" Lieutenant Herrera gunned the engine and got the warthog turned and zoomed out to the left like Ashton said, Three other warthogs followed behind, The fourth one at the rear of the column was hit by another fuel rod and burst into a fireball.**

"**Jesus! Good thinking Lance Corporal!" Lieutenant Herrera yelled from the front of the warthog.**

"**Yeah, Man, Got us outta there!" Jake punched Ashton's shoulder.**

"**Tell you what, Lance Corporal, You're from here, You navigate, Where do we go?" Lieutenant Herrera asked.**

"**Hang a right up here, We'll take an alternate route to get where we need to go."**

"**You better know what you're doing, Lance Corporal, Or my boot will be so far up your ass. . . " Sergeant Chang said from his warthog.**

**The remains of the convoy made their way through the New York streets guided by Ashton until he had them stop in front of one of the absolutely gigantic skyscrapers.**

"**Alright, Get out." Ashton said.**

"**What? Why?" Jake asked.**

"**It's better to walk it from here."**

"**Not exactly sure I agree to that, Lance Corporal." Sergeant Change said. "If we get into the shit we won't have the LAAG's."**

"**True, True. But they'll be expecting us to drive into the shit, We just gotta get to the bridge and clear it out so they can start moving civvies across. I figure we go through the buildings and we can take the skywalks across."**

"**Skywalks?" Jake said.**

"**Right, I forgot you're from Mars. Spend a lot of time outside the cities?" **

"**Ah, Fuck you." Jake said as the group of ODSTs made their way into the skyscraper.**

"**But to be fair, Skywalks are connections between the buildings allowing you to travel between them. . .high up. Hence, Skywalks." Ashton said as he pressed the button for an elevator.**

"**Elevator? You serious?"**

"**Well if you wanna take the stairs, PFC, You're more than welcome." Lieutenant Herrera said.**

"Ashton, I don't mean to sound rude, But can you skip ahead a bit?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, Tell us more about fighting those things." Yang said from the doorway.

"Jesus!" Ashton said, Not expecting her behind him.

"Come on, Don't stop because I'm here, Go on."

"Fine, So we took the elevator up and got to the skywalk."

"**God damn we're high up." Jake said looking out the window.**

"**You learn not think about the height." Lieutenant Herrera said.**

"**You from here too LT?" An ODST asked.**

"**Vacationed, Not a local."**

"**Oh great, A tourist." Ashton commented as they approached the skywalk.**

"**You sure this is safe?" Jake asked.**

"**Yeah we use it all the ti-" Ashton was cut off by incoming plasma fire nailing an ODST next to him.**

"**COVVIE RECON, GET DOWN!" Lieutenant Herrera yelled.**

**Ashton grabbed the downed ODST and began dragging him to nearby cover, A Grunt waddled out with a fuel rod gun, It aimed and fired off two shots before it succumbed to the ODSTs fire.**

"**INCOMING!" Sergeant Chang yelled as the fuel rods sailed in their direction, Ashton paused as both impacted near him. He continued dragging the ODST but stopped when he realised one of the fuel rods had cut the wounded man in half.**

"**Shit! Mackenzie is dead!" Jake yelled as Ashton dropped the remains of the body and dove for cover.**

"**How the fuck did they find us!" An ODST yelled.**

"**They didn't, We walked right into a fucking recon outpost!" Sergeant Change yelled as Ashton leaned up and fired his MA5 to try and suppress a Brute throwing a grenade.**

"**Grenade!" The spike grenade impacted a wall behind two ODSTs and ripped them to shreds.**

"**SON OF A BITCH!" Sergeant Chang roared as he fired his M7 in retaliation.**

"**Oh god, CORPSMAN! Sanchez is hit!" An ODST cried out, One of the two corpsmen that traveled with the ODSTs rushed over and kneeled down to take care of the wounded man, He had a spike in his gut. The corpsman didn't have much choice, The ODST needed immediate medical attention. The other corpsman slid over and pulled one of the dead ODSTs bodies into position just in time to stop a volley of spikes from hitting the wounded man.**

"**Fuck, Someone get on the SRS, Sanchez ain't usin' it no more!" Sergeant Chang yelled.**

"**On it! Cover me!" Ashton yelled as he ran over to where the wounded ODST was, He fired his MA5 along the way to try and keep the enemy supressed.**

"**Shit, Alright, Jimmy gimme' some biofoam we need to get him stable." The first corpsman said to the other.**

"**Right, Here-AGH!" The second corpsman cried out as a spike hit him in the thigh, Ashton fired another burst from his MA5 before tossing it aside to pick up the SRS.**

"**Keep us covered, Alright?" The second corpsman asked as he removed the spike from his leg, He had to be operating on pure adrenaline.**

"**Right." Ashton said as he aimed, A Brute popped up to throw another grenade but Ashton nailed him square in the chest. He had very little experience with the SRS-99 and was surprised how good the rifle felt in his hands.**

"**I did it!" The first corpsman yelled out. "I did it! I stopped the bleedi-" The corpsman was cut off when a spiker round impacted the helmet of the ODST he had just saved. "FUCK!" Ashton and the other corpsman had to hold him down so he didn't just stand up into enemy fire.**

"**Mike calm down!" The second corpsman yelled.**

"**JUST GIVE US A FUCKING BREAK YOU SONS A' BITCHES! YOU FUCKING COCKSUCKERS!" Blood from the dead ODST had splashed out of the helmet and was all over Ashton's side, The corpsman continued to scream obscenities at the Covenant before breaking down into tears, He was out of the fight.**

"**Where's my commo guy!" Lieutenant Herrera yelled out.**

"**Here, Sir!" An ODST responded as he crouched down next to the LT.**

"**Get on the radio, Call it in, We are combat ineffective, Manhattan is definitely in Covenant hands."**

"**Yes, Sir!"**

"**Dommer!"**

"**Sir!?"**

"**You're pretty good with that rifle, You're my new DM!" Lieutenant Herrera yelled out as Ashton nailed a Grunt.**

"**Sir! CO is telling me Covvies own the skys, We ain't getting no support unless we can take out that post at the bridge!"**

"**Right! You tell the CO I said we're combat ineffective, We're taking too many losses!"**

"**Yes, Si-" The ODST was cut off as a plasma bolt struck him in the chest.**

"**Fuck!" Sergeant Chang yelled out.**

"**Covvies are pushing across the skywalk!" Jake yelled, Ashton let another round tear through a Brute's head.**

"**We should blow the skywalk!"**

"**Negative! We need it!" Lieutenant Herrera yelled.**

"**Maybe we can- AAAH FUCK!" Jake yelled as the Brute Stalker materialised, It grabbed him and lifted him up.**

"**SHIT!" Sergeant Chang said as he fired a volley from his M7, Ashton placed a shot through it's head instinctively.**

"**Fuck, Man. . .you save-"**

"**Shut the fuck up and shoot!" Ashton cut him off.**

"**We're about to be overrun!" An ODST yelled.**

"**You shut the fuck up, We ain't getting overrun!" Sergeant Chang yelled, Trying to keep the remaining men in order, Morale was fading fast.**

"**Here they come, Second wave is trying to push across!" Lieutenant Herrera yelled, Jackals, Grunts, And a few more Brutes were pushing across the skywalk.**

"**Nail them, Lance Corporal!"**

"**On it, Sarge!" Ashton responded as he fired two shots, Both kill their targets.**

"**Distance is closing!" Jake yelled as he reloaded his MA5.**

"**You just focus, Marine! Just need to-FUCK, LT is hit!" Sergeant Chang yelled.**

"**I'm fucking fine! Focus on firing back!" Lieutenant Herrera responded, He had taken a spike in his abdomen and appeared to be stuck to the wall. "Ain't shit!" He said as he switched to his sidearm.**

"**Prepare for close combat!" Sergeant Chang yelled.**

**The Covenant troops closed in on the ODST position and the sounds of blood curdling screams, Blades meeting flesh, Guns firing, and incomprehensible sounds both human and alien. Ashton swung the SRS around and hit a Jackal with it like a bat, It's skull made a satisfying crack.**

"**Fuck you!" Jake yelled as he punched a Grunt in it's face, He had been brawling two of them, After ripping that ones mask off it had bit him and punctured through his suit.**

"**HOLY FUCK!" An ODST yelled as a Brute picked him up and smashed him through a window, Sending him tumbling to his death.**

**Ashton threw his SRS at a Grunt to stop it from shooting it's Plasma Pistol at him before drawing his machete and rushing it, He gave it a good slice across the abdomen and the creature fell over dead. He turned his head to see Lieutenant Herrera struggling to get a Jackal off of him. Ashton shot his M6S twice and the Jackal fell over.**

"**Behind you!" Lieutenant Herrera yelled, Ashton turned just in time to see a Brute about to hit him with it's giant fist.**

"**Over here you big fuck!" Sergeant Chang said as he fired a burst from his M7, The alien turned and punched Sergeant Chang square in the chest, Sending him flying across the room.**

**Ashton, Jake, and Herrera were the only ones left. The Brute turned towards Jake who was frantically reloading his MA5.**

"**No! Get back!" Jake yelled, He fumbled and the magazine fell out of his hand. "Get back!" The Brute only growled in response as it approached the ODST.**

"**Oi! Fucker!" Ashton yelled as he gave the Brute a slash across it's back, Lieutenant Herrera fired his last shots from his M6S, The Brute turned and grabbed Ashton.**

"**Fuck you! Let him go!" Lieutenant Herrera yelled as he grabbed at the spike in his gut, Trying to slide himself off of it. The Brute looked at Lieutenant Herrera and walked over, Still dragging Ashton. The Brute growled as it kicked Herrera, He passed out instantly from the pain.**

"**You. . .asshole!" Ashton yelled as the Brute turned his attention back to him, It lifted off his helmet and looked Ashton in the eyes.**

"**FUCK YOU!" Jake yelled from behind, He had reloaded his MA5 and let the full magazine rip into the giant beast, It roared in anger as it spun around and it's grip on Ashton slipped. Taking advantage of the opportunity Ashton jumped onto it's back and began slashing with his machete. The Brute hit Jake out of the way as it tried to get Ashton off of it, Ashton held on for dear life as he kept slashing the Brute. It dropped to one knee as it reached behind and grabbed Ashton. He kept slashing and cutting into the Brute as he felt his leg get dislocated.**

"**DIE ALREADY DAMMIT!" Ashton yelled, He drove the machete into the Brute's skull and it fell over. Even though Ashton knew the Brute was dead he kept stabbing and slashing his machete into it's body.**

"**Fuck. . ." Sergeant Chang muttered as Jake helped him up. "We got fucked up."**

"**Hell yeah, But we're alive." Jake said.**

"**Aw shit, Lieutenant!" Chang ran over to the Lieutenants body and felt for a pulse. "He's gone. . ."**

"**Ash! Hey. . .Ash! Cut that shit out man." Jake said as Ashton kept cutting the body. "Come on man. . .cut it the fuck out."**

"**Marine." Sergeant Chang said as he put his hand on Ashton's shoulder, Ashton spun around and almost hit Chang with his machete. "Come on, Marine. . . Get a hold of yourself."**

"**Yeah, You fuckin' psychopath."**

"**Right. . . Sorry." Ashton said, As Chang glared at Jake. Ashton realised his uniform was stained with the purplish-red blood of the Brute.**

"**You did good, Marine."**

"**Well. . .fuck." Jake said. "What now?"**

"**Now? Marine, Now we wait. We ain't gonna accomplish jack shit just the three of us." Chang said as he took off his helmet, He plopped himself up on an information counter and took out a cigar. "Now. . .we wait."**

"Woooow." Ruby said, She had that look in her eye like he was a comic book or movie hero again. "So that's how you got your nickname!?"

"I guess." Ashton said as he ran his hand over his helmet.

"When did. . .you know. . .carve it in." Ruby asked, Causing Ashton to laugh.

"You're treating it like it's some kinda sacred ritual, When the name stuck I carved it in, That's all."

"But, Wow is right." Jaune said. "You're amazing when it comes to fighting, Ash."

"But still, Answer my question!" Ruby said. "What was it like defending your home?"

Ashton sighed. "It was. . .difficult to put it simply. . .Everything you've ever known, Taken from you. But you just push through."

"Excuse me, I hate to bother you all." A familiar voice called. Yang stepped out of the doorway and Ashton saw the servant from before. "Dinner is being served. If you'll all follow me?"

**Commander Sarah Palmer, July 16th -, In flight to retrieve "Fallen Angel"**

"Hunter come in, This is Overlord."

"Overlord, This is Hunter Actual. Send traffic." Commander Palmer said into her comms.

"Retrieve Fallen Angel and return to the Cerberus immediately, We're gonna have a hard time pulling you guys out if things go sideways."

"Roger that, We'll have him home before chow."

"Good, Overlord out."

"Hear that boys and girls? There is no margin for error on this operation. We will retrieve our ODST friend and then IMMEDIATELY exfil."

"Yes, Ma'am." Came a chorus of replies.

"Good! We are currently one and a half kliks out and closing fast. . .So gear up!" Commander Palmer said as the rear hatch opened, The snap and click sound of automatic weapons being loaded.

"Ma'am!" The pilot yelled.

"What is it?"

"I'm picking up at least a company sized unit converging on the IFF signal, Enemy armor included."

"Right then, Drop us here, We'll hit them from behind."

"Roger that." The pilot said as he descended to the ground.

"Ladies. . . .others, Let's go!" Commander Palmer said as she jumped out of the Pelican while it was still several feet in the air.

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 16th -, Unknown Location, Remnant**

"These are delicious!" Nora exclaimed, She and Ruby had been devouring little cakes they were given.

"They do taste good." Blake said as she bit one.

"Geez, It's like you guys run on sugar." Ashton said.

"What? They're good, Try one." Yang said as she held one out to him.

"I don't wa-Ugh. . .fine." Ashton said as he took the cake from her. "If you'll stop bugging me. . ."

"Well. . . ." Yang said as Ashton took a bite. "How is it?" She said, Letting a goofy grin cross her face.

"Shut up." Ashton said as he devoured the rest of it, Prompting a few laughs.

"Mr Dommer." A servant said as they entered the room. "If you'd please come with me?"

"Uh. . . .sure." Ashton said as he stood up from the table. The servant motioned for him to follow and they stepped out into the hall. "What's up?"

"Mr Schnee needs to see you, Along with Professor Ozpin." The servant said as they walked.

"What for?"

"I am not allowed to say, But it is of the utmost importance." The servant seemed to be picking up speed with each step, They rounded two corners and stopped in front of the double door Ashton had gone through earlier. "Inside, Please."

Ashton pushed through the doors and entered back into the large room, It was darker and a sense of urgency was clearly in the air. Weiss and Professor Ozpin were also there, Waiting for. . .something.

"What the hell's up?" Ashton called out as he approached.

"Ah good, We can begin."

"What do you mean, Begin?"

"He means it's time to leave, Young man." Professor Ozpin said.

"Leave?"

"Yes." Weiss said. "Vacuo, It's one of the few places the Covenant haven't sent troops and is where the Atlesian military has had to pull its troops."

"Atlesian military?"

"Soldiers from Atlas, Another kingdom. They were the most prepared for something like this."

"If they were prepared. . .why'd they have to pull a majority of their forces somewhere else?"

"Atlas was hit hard. . .at least hours before the attacks in Vale, It turns out the first thing the Covenant did was knock out our communications arrays."

"Yeah. . .they'd do something like that." Ashton paused. "So we're leaving then? All of us?"

"Not all of you." Mr Schnee said. "Your friends will be taken to another safe location in the south. Truth is you'll need to leave soon, It appears a sizeable force of these Covenant are on their way here if my information is correct."

"Hmm. . .so you're telling me to run?"

"We're telling you to live. To help us live." Professor Ozpin said. "You're the only person we know of with experience fighting these things, And you are quite skilled at it."

"When you arrive in Vacuo you'll meet General Ironwood and help him formulate a plan to combat the Covenant."

"He is a good man, You'll like him." Professor Ozpin said.

"Do I have time to say goodbye?"

Professor Ozpin responded by gesturing towards his weapons and helmet layed out nearby.

"What do you think?" Weiss said.

"Right. . . .Well, Let's get out of here before they begi-" Ashton was interrupted by the ground shaking impact and the distinctive sound of a plasma mortar going off.

"Great timing." Weiss said.

"Oh shut up, It could have been a direc-"

"Don't finish that sentence!" Weiss yelled.

"Let's go!" Professor Ozpin yelled, He had already made his way to the doorway. Ashton followed behind him and Weiss as they exited the room, The two of them turned left and started up the halls but Ashton stopped. Neither of them looked to make sure he was following.

"_Like hell I'm just leaving everyone behind. . ._" Ashton thought to himself as he turned and made his way back to the dining room. As he ran down the halls the intensity of the mortar barrage increased, They were definitely about to mount an assault. Ashton burst through the doors into the dining room.

"What's going on?" Ren asked as Ashton burst into the room.

"Covvies found us, We need to get outta here."

"They found us? How!?" Jaune said.

"Don't matter how, We just gotta get outta here."

"Where the heck are we gonna run off t-" Yang started to say but was cut off as the doors across the room were blow inward.

"GET DOWN!" Ashton yelled as he flipped a table over for cover, The others proceeded to do the same, Taking cover where they could.

"They got here fast!" Ruby yelled, She popped up and fired crescent rose into the smoke that had been created by the explosion.

"Damn right they did!" Ashton yelled back, He fired a few potshots from his M7, The enemy finally returned fire and a series of spikes went high over his head.

"What do we do!?" Jaune said.

"Start falling back, Get into the halls and we'll lose them in there before getting outside."

"Right!" Blake said as she leapt out of cover to provide some covering fire for Pyrrha and Nora.

"Let's go, Let's go!" Ashton yelled as he ran back and got behind a pillar. Nora fired a volley from her grenade launcher and sent a Brute flying backwards.

"Jaune, Go!" Ren yelled as he popped up to cover him. Jaune got up and made a run for the pillar where Ashton was, A line of spikes impacted near his feet causing him to stumble backwards.

"Dammit, Don't freeze up!" Ashton yelled as he ran out from behind the pillar firing his M7S, He grabbed Jaune by the collar and threw him behind the pillar.

"Th-thanks, You saved my life." Jaune said.

"Shut up." Ashton said. "Defend yourself." Ashton said as he shoved his M7S into Jaune's arms.

"Wah, No, I don't know how to use th-"

"Short controlled bursts, You have 48 rounds in a magazine." Ashton cut him off as he gave Jaune his extra M7 magazines. Jaune looked at the weapon in his hands for a moment before looking back to Ashton.

"Got it. . ." He responded, Jaune brought the weapon up to his shoulder and aimed down the sight as he leaned out. He fired a burst and the recoil caused his body to shake, Most of the rounds went high but a few hit a Grunt in the arm.

"Right, Come on then!" Ashton yelled as he aimed his SRS, He fired and a round deflected off of on Jackals shield into the back of another. Blake and Ruby fell back and were the first ones out into the hall. Ashton and Jaune laid down suppressive fire for Ren and Pyrrha to get to the pillar.

"When you get in the halls just go as fast as you can to where the Bullhead is." Ashton said as he took another shot, Nora, Yang, and Glynda ran past and out the door. "Let's go-FUCK!" Ashton yelled as a spike impacted with his thigh, The impact tossed him backwards and spun him around.

"OH CRAP!" Jaune yelled, He fired the M7S fully automatic to cover Ren and Pyrrha as hey helped Ashton up.

"Can you walk!?" Pyrrha asked.

"I'm fine, Come on, Get outta here!" Ashton said pushing them off of him, He fired another shot from his SRS before going through the door, The others followed close behind.

"WHAT HAPPENED!?" Ruby screamed when she saw Ashton's leg.

"Nothing! Get going!" Ashton yelled as he grabbed a nearby bookcase and knocked it over in front of the door.

The group ran as fast as they could, Ashton limped close behind as he reloaded his SRS, He was tempted to keep moving past but decided to stop at the double doors from before, They were half open as before. Ashton stepped inside.

"Still here?" The now familiar voice called out.

"Yeah." Ashton said. "More importantly, You're still here?"

Mr Schnee laughed.

"Of course I am. . .this is my house."

"I mean, You're not leaving?"

"No. . ."

"You understand you'll die. . ."

"I think we both know the answer to that."

"Why?"

"Mmm, Why. . .question of my life." The man paused. "There's nothing left in this world for me, Corporal. I think you more than anyone could understand loss."

"Seems a bit selfish. . .no offense."

"Selfi-You're hurt. . . ."

"Yeah. . .I noticed."

"When did that happen?"

"Moments ago. . .Saving the people that were going to go 'somewhere else safe'."

"So you didn't listen then. . .and you went off to them." The man paused, Ashton remained silent. "You're a good man."

"Hmm?"

"You're a good man, Don't let anyone change that about you. . .you value others more than yourself."

"Well then. . . Mr Schnee. I'll leave you to your fate. . . and I'll see ya' on the other side I suppose." Ashton said as he turned to leave.

"Corporal."

"Hmm?"

"My daughter. . .she's stubborn. . .and difficult. . . .and well. . .she can be mean."

"I've noticed. . ."

"Do me a favor and keep her safe. . .Get to Vacuo." The man said as he sat back down in his chair, He turned it around to face the window and the outside world one last time.

"Yes. . .sir." Ashton said before he left the room.

**Commander Sarah Palmer, July 16th -, Unknown Location, Retrieving "Fallen Angel"**

"Looks like they've already begun their attack, Ma'am." Staff Sergeant Santiago said after looking through his binoculars.

"Right, Then let's hit it before that ODST gets himself killed." Commander Palmer said. "When we get within 500 meters I want designated marksmen and SAW gunners to open up. M41 crew take care of hostile armor."

"Yes, Ma'am!' Came a chorus of replies.

The mix of Marines and five Spartans made their way through the woods towards the sounds of plasma fire and explosions. as they got closer a giant explosion went off sending black smoke billowing into the air.

"Whatever them Covvies are shooting at they really don't like it." A Marine said.

"Either that or the ODST is completely kicking their asses." One of the Spartans said.

"Pfft, Doubt it, He's probably dead, Covvies are just burning what's left."

"Hey man, ODSTs are hardcore." Another Marine said.

"Shut the fuck up, Ya goddamn idiots." Staff Sergeant Santiago growled.

"Yes, Sir. . ." The two Marines muttered.

"Alright. . . .This is it." Commander Palmer said, The group stopped just inside the treeline. Across the open ground was an elaborate building, It was fenced in and three Wraiths were raining plasma down onto it, The clear cause for the many small fires.

"Get in position." Staff Sergeant Santiago said as he got into a prone shooting stance.

"M41, Ready." Two Marines said.

"Fire at will!"

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 16th -, Unknown location, Remnant**

"How many of these guys are there!?" Yang yelled.

"Too many!" Ashton responded as he fired his SRS, The Brute he fired at moved out of the way just in time. Suddenly from behind where the Brute and it's squad of Grunts there was a low hum and then a Grunt screamed. The Brute tried to dive away from whatever it was but it's legs became encased in ice.

"Gee, Wonder who's over there." Blake said as Ashton fired his SRS into the Brute's head, It wouldn't be moving out of the way this time.

"It's head popped like a grape!" Nora yelled.

"Sure did. . ." Ashton said as Weiss came from around the corner.

"There you are!" She yelled. "Can't trust you in the slightest to not disappear!"

"Nice seeing you again too."

"You have to be one of the most incompetent peop-" Weiss stopped when she saw the spike in his leg, Her eyes went wide. "When did. . ."

"Doesn't matter. . . .We need to get out of here. . .To Vacuo right?"

"Yes. . ." She said.

"Let's get moving then. Building's gonna come down soon."

"Fun." Yang said as she walked past.

The group followed Weiss through the halls and out the back of the builder, She told them they needed to go this way because the plasma mortars had decimated the roof. There were secondary landing pads at the back with Schnee Dust Company aircraft.

"What IS Vacuo anyway?" Ashton asked as the group made their way outside.

"It's another kingdom, Like Vale and Atlas." Ruby said.

"It's more is-" Weiss started to say but was cut off by incoming plasma fire.

"Figures they're here too!" Jaune said as he fired the M7S, His aim was getting better Ashton saw, Jaune managed to nail two Grunts and a Jackal with two bursts. The return fire from the enemy was overwhelming and they had to take cover.

"What're we gonna do?" Ruby asked. "We're gonna die if we sit here!"

"Then we fucking go for the aircraft!" Ashton said.

"No offense, But that sounds stupid and suicidal." Blake said.

"There's an old saying, If it's stupid but it works. . .It isn't stupid." Ashton said as he moved as fast as he could to a knocked over tree, Spiker rounds filled the air around him as he moved.

"Ash, You idiot!" Yang yelled as she ran after him, She fired a volley of shots as she moved. Jaune reloaded the M7S and provided covering fire for the others to move.

"Watch out!" Ruby yelled as she did a flip out of the way, An overcharged plasma bolt from a plasma pistol seared past her and almost hit Blake. Pyrrha fired a few shots before rolling out of the way.

"Nora! Get their heads down!" Ashton yelled as he reloaded his SRS.

"On it!" Nora fired several grenades that sent Covenant flying in all directions.

"Boom!" Ruby yelled, Weiss made some ice for cover as two Brutes fired a volley of spikes in her direction.

"Professor Ozpin! We're gonna need your flying skills again!" Ashton yelled.

"Oh crap!" Jaune yelled as a fuel rod was fired in his direction, He dove out of the way just in time.

"Go, Go!" Ren said as he pushed Jaune into cover, Ren fired off two magazines before getting suppressed.

"Hey, You hear that!?" Jaune yelled.

"Hear what?"

"Listen!" Ashton tried to focus his hearing over all the gunfire until he realised what Jaune wanted him to hear was the gunfire.

"Probably just security drones, Like before." An explosion rocked the ground as a plasma mortar hit nearby.

"Profesor! How's the ship coming along!?" Ruby yelled.

"Fine, Just one moment."

"Wait, Are they pulling back?" Yang said, Everyone noticed that the Covenant were starting to fall back, The gunfire on the other side of the building intensified and two explosions went off back to back.

"That's never good, Covvies usually retreat when they know they're about to drop some death from above."

"Huh?"

"When they're about to glass the area!" Ashton yelled.

"No. . .I don't think that's it. . ." Ren said. "They didn't seem as if they were running for their lives, More likely to take care of whatever is causing trouble on the other side of the building."

"Whatever, It's our opportunity to get out of he-" Ashton stopped mid-sentence when he noticed them, Four Brute Stalkers uncloaking inside the nearby treeline. Their Spikers raised and sweeping for targets. "Look out!" Ashton yelled, He fired off all four shots as fast as he could but only managed to kill one of the Stalkers. Jaune noticed too and fired fully automatic which only worked against his already shoddy accuracy. Ruby fired and dropped one more Stalker but the other two had already begun firing.

Weiss turned just in time to see the Brutes as they began firing, She prepared a ranged attack and was about to launch it when the spikes were already halfway to their target. Ashton made the decision in a split second and threw Weiss to the ground, The spikes sailed over her and found another target, Ashton fell over as Ruby, Pyrrha, and Jaune finished off the last two Brutes.

"NOOOOO!"

**A/N: Here it is, Chapter 5, I suffered from massive writer's block for a while but I did it. I'm also sorry if it seems a little rushed or lazy towards the end, It's currently five in the morning where I am, Stayed up late to finish this. Anyway, Seems our ODST friend has found himself in some trouble, I wonder how it'll play out. . . I mean. . . I know. . . .you won't. . . .not until Chapter 6 anyway. But anyway, Hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you next time.**


	6. Act 1, Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Halo they are respectively owned by Rooster Teeth and 343 Industries**

(Text / Speech)

**(Flashbacks / Author Notes / Video Recordings)**

_(Thoughts)_

**Chapter 6: Out of the frying pan**

**Ruby Rose, July 16th -, Unknown location, Remnant**

"Is. . .Is he. . .d-d. . .dead?" Ruby asked, She had slumped down to her knees and felt sick to her stomach.

"I don't know." Ren said, He kneeled down next to Ashton's body and ran his hand down Ashton's arm. Blake tried checking his wrist for a pulse.

"It's hard to tell." Blake said as she let his arm drop back to the ground. "He's wearing so much armor and uniform I can barely feel anything."

"I hate to say it. . .but. . .I think he's dead." Ren paused. "I'm no medical expert, But I'd say two spikes in your chest aren't good." Ren said with a grim sense of sarcasm. "This crack in his visor doesn't look promising either."

"If we don't help him, If he's not dead, He'll bleed to death soon." Pyrrha said as she looked down at the body.

"What if we just remove the spikes and then bandage him?" Jaune suggested.

"No." Yang said as she turned around, She seemed a little shocked with what had happened. "He said earlier, Remember, The spikes should be removed by a professional medic. None of us have experience with these kind of wounds, We'd do more harm than good."

"More harm than good? No one on the planet knows anything about these aliens other than him, That includes how to treat the wounds they inflict. By not doing anything we're doing 'More harm than good'." Weiss said, Her eyes fixed on the motionless body next to her.

"Guys. . ." Nora said in a cheerful tone.

"Not now, Nora." Jaune cut her off. "We need to think of what to do. . ."

"I say we take them out, Bandage him up, Get to Vacuo as fast as we can." Weiss said.

"But. . .what if he dies. . . .or is dead." Ruby said, She stared at the ground.

"Guys. . ." Nora repeated.

"Nora, Now's not the best time." Pyrrha said.

"What if by the time we get to Vacuo it's been over run, Then what?" Ren asked.

"Then we die, He told us the stories. . .They glass the planets after they find what they're looking for. . .Or get what they want." Yang said.

"Guuuuys. . . ." Nora repeated for a third time.

"What, Nora, What is it?" Ren asked her, Nora simply responded by pointing behind the others with her normal goofy grin.

"Move! On your knees! Now!" The group turned and was met with what appeared to be a man. . .A very tall man in what appeared to be a metal suit. Yang prepared to attack him when the man spoke again. "Ah ah ah, Wouldn't try it if I were you, Girly. This is the M45D Tactical Shotgun. You can try, But my colleagues won't be too happy." At this the group suddenly realised they were being surrounded. There were a few more people in the metal suits, They were all quite tall. The others stood at what would be considered normal heights and carried a variety of weapons, Most of them wore the same green armor.

"Where is he?" The one in grey armor said, It sounded like a woman.

"Found him, Doc, Get over here quick!" Someone called from behind the group, Ruby turned her head to see one of the men in green armor gesture towards Ashton's body.

"These guys must be part of the Covenant. . ." Jaune said as he raised the M7 Ashton gave him earlier. "They want to take him."

"Covenant? Boy get your head on straight. Do I look like a damn giant ape to you?" One of the people in the armored suits said as he raised his weapon. The other members of team RWBY and JNPR prepared for a fight.

"Stand down!" The grey armored one with the female voice said in a commanding tone, It appeared she was in charge. She kneeled down in front of the group and removed her helmet to reveal her face, She was indeed a human being. "My name is Commander Sarah Palmer, I'm with the UNSC. Now I don't know what you kids have to do with him, But we need our ODST friend there."

"UNSC? That's who he said he worked with. . .please help him!" Ruby said in a pleading tone suddenly.

"Go ahead, Doc." Commander Palmer said to one of the green armored men. The corpsman knelt down next to Ashton but before touching him looked up to Yang, She was standing next to the body protectively.

"May I?" The corpsman asked before proceeding, He pulled the piece of cloth that was covering his mouth down and removed his orange shooter glasses to better show he was a human. Yang responded with a nod and the corpsman immediately went to work assessing Ashton.

"He still breathing, Doc?" One of the men in green armor growled, He was wearing a cloth hat instead of a metal helmet like the others.

"Yes, Staff Sergeant." The corpsman said as he ran a scan of Ashton's body. "Not for long if he remains in this state though, If he doesn't get back to Cerberus in say. . .Fifteen minutes, He's gonna be in deep trouble."

"Roger that." Commander Palmer said as she slipped on her helmet. "Twisting this is Hunter Actual, Requesting immediate Medevac for priority one personnel, Fallen Angel secured."

"Roger that, Hunter Actual, Be advised you have multiple tangos inbound on your position. Prepare for hot extract."

"Acknowledged." Commander Palmer said before turning back to her Spartans. "Get those Civvies head's down, We've got incoming. The rest of you Marines, Set up a defensive perimeter."

"You heard the lady, Get down." The Spartan with the shotgun said, Motioning it towards the ground.

"Let us help fight!" Blake protested.

"Negative." A female Spartan cut in. "Just stay low."

"I'm getting sick of these kids real fast. . ." The one with the shotgun commented as team RWBY and JNPR finally took cover as instructed.

"Shut it, Man. Now ain't the time." Another Spartan said as a squad of Jackals poured out of the building.

"Light 'em up!" Staff Sergeant Santiago yelled, The Marines let everything they had rip as more Covenant exited the building.

"Yeeehaw!" One of the SAW gunners yelled as he downed a Brute.

"Someone call the cavalry?" Commander Palmers comms crackled as the D79H-TC Pelican flew overhead. The nose mounted 70mm autocannon ripped into the enemy infantry as the Pelican descended.

"There's our ride, Doc, Get him aboard." Commander Palmer said as the ramp dropped, The corpsman and a Marine lifted Ashton and carried him inside.

"Spartans, Get the Civvies inside next." Commander Palmer said as she fired her pistols.

"Roger that." The Spartan with the shotgun said as he stood up to take a potshot. "Ally, Get those four. Jacob, Get the others." He continued as he kept firing his shotgun.

"Roger that." The female Spartan said as she gestured for team RWBY to move. The female Spartan covered them with a few bursts from her Battle Rifle. Ruby let out a small scream and stopped moving as a plasma bolt nearly hit her, All the stress was getting to her. "Don't just stop!" The Spartan yelled as she practically kicked Ruby into the Pelican.

"Go go go!" The other Spartan yelled as he had team JNPR get into the Pelican, Ren and Pyrrha helped Professor Ozpin and Glynda inside.

"Civvies are packed in, Ma'am."

"Roger that, Load up, We're moving out!"

**UNSC Cerberus, In high orbit over Remnant, July 16th -**

"General, Sir. Back so soon?" Lieutenant Murray asked as she looked up from her final preparation.

"Change of plans, Lieutenant. Seems your ODST managed to get himself hit. . .bad."

"What!?" Lieutenant Murray suddenly seemed panicked, A big difference from the usual calm almost cocky tone she usually talked in.

"He's fine. . .for now. They've got him in a stable condition, He'll be aboard the ship soon. This means though, Lieutenant, Your little tests. . .or experiments. . .or augments, Whatever you're calling them. . .they'll have to wait."

"Understood, Sir. . ." Lieutenant Murray replied as she began tapping her fingers against the wall nervously.

General Cato turned to leave but stopped in the doorway. "Lieutenant. . . . Many people have died along the way. . ." The General took out a cigar and lit it.

"I know, Sir."

"Whatever it is you're going to do to him. . . It better have been worth those lives." He said as he left the lower ranking officer to her thoughts.

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, Unknown time, Unknown location**

"**Son? You listening to me?" The voice repeated over and over in Ashton's head until he opened his eyes. He found himself standing in a pristine white room. There was a desk in front of him, Behind it sat a Marine in a Blue Dress Delta uniform. The walls were lined with recruitment posters.**

"**You listening to me?" The voice repeated, Ashton could see it was the Marine speaking now.**

"**Yes, Sir." Ashton managed to stammer out. He looked down and noticed he was wearing civilian clothes.**

"**I don't need you wasting my time, Boy. Why you in here?"**

"**I. . . I want to be a Marine." Ashton suddenly spoke.**

"**Yeah. . ." The recruiter placed both of his hands on the table, His left arm was a prosthetic. "You don't look old enough to me, Son. . ."**

"**Seventeen."**

"**Seventeen, Eh? That mean's you're gonna need parental cons-" The recruiter was cut off as Ashton took a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. Ashton had little control over his body, He was performing movements like taking the paper out unwillingly.**

"**I have it." Ashton kept speaking without thinking, The words seemed to be coming out naturally.**

"**Well then, Son." The recruiter paused as he took out some papers. "Whaddya wanna b-"**

"**Infantry." Ashton cut the man off again as he was handed a pen. It made contact with the paper and signed his name.**

"**You ARE stupid."**

**Everything went black as the female voice interjected, It sounded familiar, He knew the voice that was for sure. But he couldn't pin it to an owner.**

"**You're a good guy, Ash." Another voice, Male this time.**

"**ASHTON!" Another female voice, Different from the first one.**

"**WAKE UP!"**

"**NOOOO!"**

**Ashton's eyes shot open, Everything was white, But he was met with the smells of cordite, Smoke, Death, And Plasma.**

"**GET UP MARINE!" Suddenly the world appeared around him, The blue sky above him was replaced with a man's face. "I SAID GET UP!"**

"**INCOMING!" Someone off to Ashton's left yelled, He was stunned. The location seemed familiar, But he couldn't tell where he was.**

"**BROKEN ARROW, I REPEAT BROKEN ARROW, REQUESTING AIR STRIKE ON OUR POSITION!" Ashton could hear someone yelling. The man who had yelled for him to get up slumped over onto Ashton, The plasma wound on his back still giving off smoke.**

"**WE ARE FUCKED!" A Marine screamed.**

"**MOMMA, MOMMA I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Ashton turned his head, On his right there was a Marine, Couldn't be older than eighteen, His guts were hanging out of his stomach, The Marine was trying to gather them up but couldn't before he lost too much blood.**

**Ashton spotted the rifle in front of him, He shoved the dead Marine off of him and crawled for it. Everything was beginning to come back to him, He was on Reach. His first ever taste of combat. Ashton managed to crawl over and picked up the MA5, He had 23 bullets.**

"**FUCK YOU! YOU COCKSUCKING PIECE OF ALIEN SHI-" Ashton watched as a Marine was lifted off of the ground and stabbed. The Sangheili tossed the body aside as it spotted Ashton.**

"His heart rate is increasing!"

"Mike, Help me get this spike out of his leg."

"**Back. . ." Ashton murmured as he raised the MA5 "Get back. . ."**

"**Prepare yourself, Human. . ." It spoke in a low tone, Ashton fired all 23 bullets, He didn't even manage to break the Sangheili's shields. "Accept your fate."**

"Oh shit! I think it cut into the femoral artery, Biofoam!"

**Ashton let himself go limp as the alien picked him up.**

"**This is where you shall die, Human. . .This is your grave."**

**Ashton waited for the pain to come, The cut from the Sangheili's sword across his chest, Or a quick stab. But it never came, He opened his eyes again and he was back in the darkness. Just him, And the lifeless body of the Sangheili.**

"What's wrong!?"

Help him! Please, Just help him!"

"**You ARE stupid." The female voice repeated again.**

"**You're a good man. . ."**

"**Where are you from? As in, Where's home?"**

"**You're fine, Marine. . ."**

"**Psycho, You're crazy, Man. . ."**

**The voices kept repeating over and over and over as Ashton sat there in the darkness, He wasn't sure how much longer he would last when all of them suddenly stopped.**

"**I'm sorry. . ." Echoed a few times, The same voice as the first time.**

"I'm sorry. . ."

**Ashton was sure of it now, He was hearing other voices, They were lower, Sounded far away. But that last time. . . They synched.**

"**It's my fault. . . ."**

"It's my fault. . . ."

"It's not your fault, He did what a good Marine would do, Little lady."

**Ashton was finally able to move his body on his own, He had control over what he did now. He looked back over to where the dead alien had been only moments ago, It had disappeared. In it's place was a single M6G pistol. There was nothing here but Ashton. . .and the gun. He picked it up and pulled back the slide.**

"**Fuck. . . It." Ashton thought aloud, Finally able to speak his own words, He pulled the trigger and shot himself.**

Ashton woke up with a loud gasp, His immediate reaction was to sit straight up. He was on what appeared to be the floor, People were sitting in seats lined along the walls, They were soaked in a dim red light. Two men were hovering over him.

"Shit, He's awake!" The first one yelled in surprise.

"Down down! Lay back down!" The second one yelled as he shoved Ashton back to the floor.

"He's really awake!?" A female voice cried out from somewhere.

"Mike, Gimme a light." The first man said. The second man shone a light in Ashton's face.

"Doc. . . .Doc, What's wrong?" Ashton managed to stammer out.

"Shhhh, Marine. Everything's gonna be okay." The man said as he went over Ashton.

"Doc, I can't see out of my right eye. . ..What's wrong with me, Doc."

"Shhh. Don't think, Just sit back."

"Doc. . .Stop bullshitting me. . .I'm hit. . ."

"You are, Marine, That's why I need you to stay still."

"My eye, Doc. . ." Ashton said. "What's wrong with my eye. . ."

"Your eye is the least of your worries, Marine." The corpsman said in a calm tone before turning to his assistant. "Sedate him."

"No. . ." Ashton managed to get out before the other corpsman used the automatic injector to sedate Ashton.

**Ruby Rose, July 16th -, Unknown Location, Remnant**

"Was he really awake!?" Ruby exclaimed.

"Quiet." Commander Palmer said.

"He's our friend, If he was awake, Tell us." Yang said.

Commander Palmer thought for a moment before she finally spoke. "Yes, He was awake. . . . Momentarily."

"What do you mean, Momentarily?" Jaune asked.

"He's been sedated, For his own good."

Weiss frowned and looked at the floor, Ren reloaded his weapons.

"Where are you taking us, If you don't mind my asking?" Pyrrha asked.

"The UNSC Cerberus, It's a ship. You'll be safe there."

"Safe?" Blake asked. "Wouldn't a warship be one of the most dangerous places?"

"Girly, The safest place when the Covenant are here is to be off planet." One of the Spartans said.

"It's safer there. Trust me." A Marine said.

"We coulda just left your asses behind. . ." Staff Sergeant Santiago growled.

"Simmer down, Everyone!" Commander Palmer yelled. "Tensions are high and we're not helping the situation with all this bullshit."

The Pelican lurched as it lander in the hangar.

"We're here, Ma'am." The pilot called.

"Roger, You two, Offload him immediately, Medbay will be expecting him." Commander Palmer said to the corpsmen as the hatch dropped. Two Navy personnel picked up Ashton on a stretcher and carried him out to a waiting medical that placed him on a gurney. The Marines filed out of the Pelican and finally the Spartans escorted team RWBY and JNPR out. The hangar amazed them, It was bustling with activity, Crew members rushed around performing preflight and postflight checks on aircraft. An F-41 Exoatmospheric Multirole Strike Fighter took off while a platoon of Marines loaded into two Pelicans.

"Where are they taking him?" Weiss asked as they wheeled Ashton away.

"Medical bay, He's in good hands." Commander Palmer said.

"Can we go with hi-" Ruby started to ask

"No." A female voice interjected.

The group turned to find Lieutenant Murray.

"Lieutenant." Commander Palmer said, A bit surprised at seeing her.

"Commander. I trust everything went well. . . Besides the obvious."

"Yes, No casualties, Maximum damage dealt, Target retrieved."

"As expected of Spartans." Lieutenant Murray said, She turned her attention to team RWBY and JNPR. "Survivors you retrieved?"

"Yes, We found them with Corporal Dommer."

"Mhmmm." Lieutenant Murray said. "Well then, Sorry to say, Young lady, But no, Medical personnel need their space when working, We can't exactly have all of you crowding into an operating room."

"Right. . ." Ruby said.

"You there." Lieutenant Murray said to Jaune. "Where did you get that?"

Jaune looked down at the M7S in his hands. "Oh. . .He uh. . .Gave it to me."

"Mmmm, Interesting." Lieutenant Murray said as two Masters at Arms stepped up behind her. "Gentlemen, Escort these people to the holding area. Commander Palmer, General Cato will want to see you for debriefing."

"No!" Ruby protested.

"Hmm?" Lieutenant Murray said as she turned around.

"Please, Don't just. . .Separate us from our friend and then toss us in some cell. . . From what he told us the UNSC were good people. . ." Ruby said sullenly, She looked at Lieutenant Murray with a sad look on her face.

"I'm a hardened officer of the Office of Naval Intelligence. . .If you think giving me pitiful looks and speaking in a depressed tone is going to affect me. . ." Lieutenant Murray paused as she turned around. "Then you are. . ." Yang let a smile cross her face as he little sisters charm went to work.

"You are. . .?" Weiss asked.

"You. . . . " Lieutenant Murray began to say. "Petty Officer, House them in Barracks Delta as it will be empty. . .Take their weapons from them. None of them leave the room." Lieutenant Murray said as she turned to one of the Masters at Arms. She checked something on her datapad before leaving.

"Nice one, Sis." Yang whispered into Ruby's ear.

"Move it." One of the Masters at Arms said as the group moved, Another Pelican landed in the hangar as they exited. The group was amazed by the ship as they walked through it, Members of the crew hurried around them, Every once in a while a wounded Marine or Crewman would go by in the direction of the medical bay. After about five minutes of walking the Masters at Arms stopped in front of a door.

"Your weapons." The other Master at Arms growled, He pointed his MA5 in the direction of what appeared to be a metal cart someone wheeled next to the door. "Leave 'em there."

One by one the members of team RWBY and JNPR placed their weapons on the cart, Ruby was especially hesitant to hand over Crescent Rose. After all of them had given up their weapons one of the Masters at Arms opened the door by typing something into a keypad and the group filed inside.

"Just relax for a few hour. . .Not like y'all got anything else you can do. . ." The first Master at Arms said as they re-sealed the door.

"Whoa. . ." Jaune said as they took in the room, The room was filled with rows upon rows of bunk beds, Each one had a black blanket with the UNSC logo on it, At the foot of each bunk there appeared to be storage containers.

"Whoa is right. . ." Yang said, She did a full turn. "Oh that's cool. . ." She commented, Above the door they had come through was a blue flag, In the center was a golden shape.

"Looks like those pods." Weiss said.

"Must be an emblem or something." Ren commented as he looked around the room.

"Wait. . .Where's Professor Ozpin. . .Or Goodwitch?" Pyrrha asked.

"They stayed with the big metal lady!" Nora said as she dived onto one of the bunks.

"Speaking of the big metal people, What was up with them?" Yang asked.

"No idea." Blake said as she sat down on one of the bunks. "They were absolutely huge."

"Ashton never mentioned a thing about them." Weiss said as she leaned against the wall.

"Maybe he just didn't think he needed to." Ruby said. "I'm sure if we asked him about big metal people he would have told us."

"Because there's a reason to always ask someone if big metal people exist." Weiss said as she rolled her eyes.

"Something's weird about them though." Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, I know." Yang responded. "Earlier I saw one get shot and nothing happened, They just glowed and shrugged it off."

"Aura maybe?" Ren said.

"Would people from another world have aura?" Yang said. "I mean clearly Ash didn't have an au-" Yang caught herself and stopped talking.

"Speaking of Ash. . ." Jaune said, He was crouched in front of one of the bunks. "I have a hunch this is his. . ."

"What do you mea- Oh. . . ." Ruby said, Scratched into the side of the container was 'P5YCH0'.

"You think this is his bunk then?" Jaune asked.

"This whole room probably belongs to his unit. . .belonged." Weiss said.

"Let's crack it open." Yang said cheerfully as she ran over.

"Eh." Jaune said as he looked at her. "Isn't it wrong to go through other people's thi-GAH." Yang pushed Jaune out of the way and crouched in front of the container.

"It's got a password lock." Ruby said.

"Hmmm." Yang said as she looked at the keypad.

"You're never going to get it open, Besides, This is probably the one time I'll agree with him, But going through people's thing is wro-"

"Got it!" Yang exclaimed as the lid popped open.

"What!?" Weiss said. "How!?"

"I figured what's the one thing we know he uses for a lot of things. . . P5YCH0, It's on his helmet, The side of this container, I looked in his backpack when we first got stuck with him, It was on there too." Yang said matter of factly. "I didn't realise he'd be so predictable to use it as his password too though." She began rummaging through the container.

"Anything interesting?" Jaune asked.

"Knife." Yang said as she threw a combat knife over her shoulder.

"Oooooh." Ruby said as she picked it up. "Nice blade."

"Books. . . Music player thingy. . ." Yang said as she tossed two novels and what appeared to be a music player over her shoulder.

"Should you really be going through his thi-"

"FOUND HIS PORN!" Yang exclaimed as she held some magazines above her head, She rolled onto her back and opened one, It didn't take her long to begin giggling uncontrollably.

"You're such a child. . ." Weiss said as she sat on Ashton's bunk. She rested her head on her hand before letting out a sigh.

"Hey! This future stuff is pretty hot, You should check it out!" Yang said as she threw a magazine at Weiss.

"Please, Leave me out of this. . ." Weiss said as she tossed the magazine which lander in her lap aside, Not before noticing the well endowed woman on the cover of course.

"Then play with this so you stop complaining!" Yang said as she tossed the music player at Weiss. Jaune went through the container as Weiss began trying to figure out how to use the music player, He kept rummaging around until he pulled out a flat grey object.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha said from behind him.

"It's not a magazine!" Jaune said holding the object up. "It's. . . . I don't know what it is. . ." The grey object was small but as Jaune held it in his hands he realised there was a glass screen attached.

"What is it then?" Pyrrha asked as she leaned in.

"I don't kno- Whoa. . . " Jaune pressed down on the grey part of the object and the screen came to life. It appeared to be a touch screen display as there were small boxes all along the screen, Each one appeared to be an image. Jaune tapped the one in the top left. "Oh this is cool."

"Lemme see!" Ruby said as she pushed in. On the screen was around fifteen people lined up side to side. Their faces were covered in dirt and specks of blood, But each one had a goofy smile across their face like they just got off of a rollercoaster.

"Is that. . ." Jaune began to say as he pointed to one of the people.

"I think it's him. . ." Ruby said, But she wasn't sure.

"Lemme see!" Yang said as she snatched up the device. "Oh yeah, That's him!" Yang laughed. "His hair used to be so short!" She pointed to the person that she was identifying, Jaune and Ruby could definitely see it was Ashton. He had a goofy smile across his face just like the others, He was holding a rifle loosely in one hand and had his other arm around the neck of the person next to him.

"He looks. . . Happy." Ruby said.

"Yeah, It's weird. . . Now that I think about it, I've never seen him smile, Maybe a chuckle and grin every once in a while. . . But no smiles." Jaune said, As he finished speaking he took the device back from Yang, While he did this he accidentally applied pressure to the grey handle area and the picture changed. It was the same kind of picture, Everyone lined up side by side, But something was different. There were less people, Only around nine in the picture this time. The smiles were still there, But the people didn't look as happy as in the first one.

"Where is he?" Ruby asked.

"Hmm. Wait. . .There." Yang pointed to a person, Ashton stood alone this time, The person he had his arm on in the last picture wasn't there. He was leaning against what appeared to be a wall, The smile was there on his face but he clearly wasn't as happy as he looked in the first one. Jaune clicked again and the picture changed, Each time he did the number of people dropped a little, Sometimes there were new people in the pictures, Others disappeared and were never seen again. The smiles slowly faded into grim smirks. Jaune stopped when there were five people left, Ashton included.

"Strange that he would keep this." Blake said, She had been watching over their shoulders.

"At least he hangs onto his memories."

"Clearly these aren't good memories though." Blake said. "It looks to me like it would just remind him that over time he has become less happy."

"Memories are memories." Ren called from across the room. "You can't change them."

"Still, I wonder what happened to these guys." Yang said.

"What do you think happened to them?" Blake said as she hit Yang with her elbow.

"Oh. . ."

"Well, This is getting a bit depressing, Maybe we should all just re-" Ruby started to say but was cut off by the loud blaring of music, Weiss had finally managed to figure out how the music player worked. She dropped it to the floor in surprise and the display screen on it cracked. Jaune tossed the picture display in shock from the sudden noise.

"Jeez, Weiss." Yang said. "That thing had to be pretty expensive. . . And ya broke it. . . . I'm so proud of you!" Yang exclaimed.

"Get off of me! It's not like I did it on purpose, I was just as surprised as you all were when I got it to play." She said as she stopped Yang from giving her a hug. Ruby picked the music player off of the floor and looked at it for a moment before hitting a button that paused the song.

"Screen's really messed up." Ruby commented as she tossed it onto a bunk.

"Oh, Forget it!" Weiss exclaimed. "Let me see these pictu-" Weiss started to say as she picked up the device, She stopped mid sentence, When she picked it up she pressed down and the picture switched. "Oh my. . ."

"What is it!?" Ruby asked as she dived over. She dropped the playful tone when she saw the screen. "Wow. . ." On the screen were only three people, Ashton and two others, They were perched on top of a metallic blue object, The big change was that instead of the usual progressively more depressed looks the other two were genuinely smiling, Ashton had more of a smug look on his face. This wasn't what had everyone shocked of course, The thing catching everyone's attention was what was in Ashton's hand.

"So that's why they call him. . ." Jaune's voice trailed off, In Ashton's right hand was the severed head of one of the ape-like aliens. His left hand held his machete, Clearly stained with blood. He wasn't trying to hide the fact he had cut this creature's head off, He was holding it prominently in the photo.

"You could wear it like a mask!" Nora said from behind the group.

"Nora!" Pyrrha exclaimed. "No, That's disgusting!"

"Well actually, There was this one time, I took the head off of an Ursa and I put it on my head, The other Ursa thought I was a real one and made me the queen."

"Just another dream she's been having. . ." Ren said.

"Still. . . It's no wonder they call him Psycho." Blake said.

"There's gotta be a reason." Ruby thought aloud. "I mean, People don't just. . . Do that. There's gotta be a reason behind it."

Suddenly the door slid open with a hiss.

**General Damien Cato, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"How is he?" General Cato asked one of the medical technicians.

"Well, Sir. . ."

"Doc, I want a no bullshit assessment. How is he?"

"We've managed to stop the bleeding, All spikes have been removed and he's been patched up, But. . ."

"But?" General Cato raised an eyebrow.

"But, It would appear he's lucky. His visor cracked from what I would assume was a ricochet, The spike hit at just the right angle that it bounced off. . . Unfortunately it cracked the visor. . . Right into his eye."

"His eye?"

"Yes, Sir. Glass pieces got through the Cornea, Iris, and the Lens. We managed to remove all glass fragments but the eye isn't looking good, I recommend we remove it, Sir."

General Cato sighed. "Do what you deem is necessary."

"Yes, Sir!" The medical technician threw up a salute before leaving.

"General." Lieutenant Murray said as she passed the technician coming through the door. "General, Sir. I want t-"

"Lieutenant, I want you to hold off on whatever it is you're going to do with Corporal Dommer."

"Sir?"

"For however long you can, I want you to delay your little operation, Lieutenant. He'll be in no state to receive unnecessary injections and surgeries after being wounded the way he has."

"Sir, The longest I can delay is a few hours, Who knows how much time we have left, But the clock is ticking. We have no idea where that Covenant ship is. If they find us before we find them. . . Or they begin glassing the planet. We'll need all the time we can get, Sir."

"If all you can give is a few hours, Then give those few hours. I don't want to have gone through all this trouble just to have him die in a surgery."

"The operation has a zero percent mortality rate, Si-"

"You know what I meant, Lieutenant. . ."

"Very well, Sir. Now, As I was going to say before, The civilians that were secured earlier have been brought up, Shall I send them in one by one?"

"How many are there?"

"Eight. Excluding the man and woman that I had speak with you earlier."

"Send them in altogether then, Get it over with quickly."

"Aye, Sir." Lieutenant Murray said before turning and leaving.

General Cato lit a cigar, He only had to wait about a minute before eight teenagers filed into the room. They all stood awkwardly, Staring at him.

"Greetings." General Cato said as he puffed out a cloud of smoke, Breaking the silence. "I am General Damien Cato of the UNSC Marine Corps." The teens still remained quiet. "I am a career officer and in charge here aboard this vessel, I'm also in charge of your friend."

"Hello, General." Ren was the first to speak, He seemed to give a slight bow.

"At least one of you isn't a mute." General Cato said with a chuckle. "I trust you all enjoy your accommodations?"

"We want to see him." Ruby finally cut in.

General Cato let out another chuckle. "You really don't mess around, Do you?"

"Please, You need to understand. He's our friend, We want to see him." Yang said.

"I understand that entirely, Young lady. So let's make a deal. . ."

"A deal?" Jaune said.

"Yes, You all tell me a few things, How you found Corporal Dommer, Your interactions with him for however long he's been here, Things like that."

"And in return?" Weiss asked.

"In return, I'll let a FEW of you see him, No guarantee he'll be awake, But you'll see him. He should be going through his final medical procedure now."

"Why only a few of us?" Blake asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Because, Missy, The last thing we need is eight people, Plus any medical staff in the room to be packed in around him to overwhelm him when he wakes up. . . If he wakes up while you're there."

"It seems like a fair deal, Guys." Pyrrha said.

"Fine then, Let's begin. . ." Weiss said, Team RWBY told General Cato the story of how they saw objects falling from the sky and investigated. How the objects crashed in the Emerald Forest, How Ashton was the only survivor they found. They told him about how Ashton remained hospitalized for a few days before waking up, And about his escape attempt. Team RWBY and JNPR then told General Cato of their interactions with Ashton over the past few days, How he had been invaluable to their survival in the opening hours of the Covenant invasion.

"We then proceeded to the location where you found us." Weiss said. "We left the City of Vale behind as three of these. . .giant things began attacking it."

"Big, Metal, Highly destructive?" General Cato asked.

"From what we saw before we got away, Yes." Ruby said, The thought of the Scarabs scared her.

"We call those things Scarabs, It's not a fun fight when those are involved. . ." General Cato's voice trailed off.

"Well, General. We upheld our part of the deal." Ren said. "I do believe it is time you uphold yours."

"We have been chatting for quite some time, Haven't we?" He chuckled. "Very well, As promised, You just decide who gets to see him and I'll personally escort you."

The group talked amongst themselves for a few minutes before they decided who should go see Ashton. They decided on Jaune, Ruby, Weiss, and Yang as they seemed to be closest to him. The group said their goodbyes as they split in half, General Cato lead the ones that were going to see Ashton out of the room, The others were escorted back to the barracks by the two Masters at Arms.

"You all must like him a lot." General Cato said as they walked.

"He's a good guy. . ." Jaune said.

"I'm sure he is, Although I've never personally met him." General Cato said as they passed two Marines who snapped to attention and saluted General Cato as he walked past.

"How long do we get to stay?" Ruby asked.

"How long do you need? Half an hour? An hour? You'll be there long enough, Young lady."

"General Cato, Sir!" The medical technician said as he saluted, The General approached him.

"At ease, Son. How is he?"

"Stable, Sir. We finished up with him about forty five minutes ago."

"Good, You won't mind if he has a few visitors?" General Cato motioned his hand in the direction of the small group.

"Not at all, Sir." The technician said with a smile. "As long as they're quiet."

"You heard the man then, Just be quiet." General Cato said, The metal door slid open with a hiss. "Someone will be by later to collect all of you." The General said as he closed the door.

"Wow." Jaune whispered. "Everything's so hightech."

"Of course it is, You idiot, Have you forgotten we're in space?" Weiss hissed.

"Shhh, Both of you." Yang hissed back.

"So here he is. . ." Ruby said as she walked over to the medical bed Ashton was laying on. "He's still out cold."

"He's so pale." Yang commented.

"Think about all the blood he lost." Jaune responded.

"Yeah. . ." Ruby said. "At least he looks peaceful."

"He's not dead, You dolt!"

"I know, I know. . . He just looks calm."

"Of course he does, He's asleep!"

"He won't be for much longer if you keep yelling." Yang hissed again.

"She's right, We're all just tired, We haven't slept in over a day." Jaune said trying to make some peace. "Maybe we should just. . . Sit down, Relax. If he wakes up before we have to leave, Then great, If not. . . Then oh well."

"He's right. . ." Ruby said as she plopped down in a metal chair. "We're just cranky, Let's all just relax."

Weiss thought it over a moment before she too sat down. Jaune tried to sit next to Weiss but she pushed him away., He sullenly sat in another chair by the door. Yang propped herself up on a counter and immediately fell asleep.

**Three hours later**

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

Ashton's vision slowly faded in for him, At first everything was blurry and white. He felt an immense pain on the right side of his head. As his vision cleared he found he was staring at the stark white ceiling. He placed a hand on his head and felt a lot of bandaging.

"_Oh man. . ." _ Ashton thought. _"What happened. . . How bad was I hit?"_ Ashton tried to sit up but something on his chest wouldn't let him. He looked down to find a certain 'Princess' had fallen asleep sitting next to him, Her head was on him and she had literally drooled all over him. Ruby and Jaune had fallen asleep in some chairs, Yang was slumped over on a counter, He was sure she was dead until he heard her snoring as loud as ever. Ashton thought he would try and be funny, He poked Weiss's cheek. Nothing, He poked her two more times and still nothing.

"You're a god damn brick when you're asleep, You know that?" Ashton said aloud, His voice was a bit scratchy. Still nothing, She was out like a light. "Okay, Fuck it." Ashton flicked Weiss's forehead as hard as he could.

"OW!" She screamed as she let out a shocked gasp, She obviously wasn't expecting to be awoken that way, She fell off of the chair she was sitting on.

"Thanks for drooling all over me, Sweetheart."

Ruby nodded awake with all the noise, When she saw Ashton was awake her eyes lit up. Ashton began to sit up but she practically tackled him as she gave him a hug.

"YOU'RE AWAKE!" Ruby screamed as she squeezed Ashton.

"Glad to see you're okay to-" Ashton began to say, He was cut off because Yang had woken up and started squeezing him too.

"YOU'RE NOT DEAD!"

"I'm not gonna be awake. . . . Or alive. . . Much longer. . . If you keep squeezing me like this!" Ashton managed to gasp out.

"Oh. . . Sorry." Ruby said as she and Yang stopped hugging him.

"What the heck was that!" Weiss yelled as she got up off of the floor.

"I woke you up." Ashton responded.

"No, You hit me on the head like the gun-toting vulgar mouthed idiot you are!"

"Hey, Don't start that fancy bullshit talk with me! You drool in your sleep!" Ashton said as he rubbed wet stain on his chest.

"You're all pretty lively." Jaune said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Yeah, Drool queen and the bear hug sisters here are gonna be the end of me. . ." Ashton sighed. "Glad to see you all got out safe though. . . Did the others. . ."

"They're here too, Just somewhere else." Yang said.

"Good." Ashton paused. "I had some kick ass dreams, Weird shit happens to ya when you get shot, I ain't gonna lie. . . So this is Vacuo then?"

"Err, Not quite." Ruby said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well. . . For one, We're in space."

"What?"

"Yes, You see. . . We're on a UNSC ship now actually. What'd they call it. . ." Ruby paused "The Saberus?"

"Cerberus." Jaune corrected her.

"Yeah that."

"Wha. . . How?" Ashton darted his head around the room.

"These people. . . Big people, In metal suits. They showed up just after. . ." Weiss paused. "Just after you got shot. It appeared they had been tracking you down for a while, They saved your life and the rest of us."

"Spartans. . ." Ashton growled.

"That's what they're called?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, Buncha' freaks is what they are though."

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.

"Spartans were. . . Originally, Super soldiers, They still are. . . I don't know a lot about them, Most people don't either. They're all genetically modified to be better, Faster, Stronger. It's creepy. . ."

"It does sound strange. . ." Jaune said.

"The weird part is, When they started up the latest version ,SPARTAN-IV, They announced it was an all volunteer force."

"So?"

"So, That means the other generations before IV weren't volunteers. . ."

"Oh. . ."

"They freak me out." Ashton said as he sighed. He then let out a laugh. "Hell, How did I get here. . ."

"We flew." Ruby said.

"Nah, Not that. I mean, Sitting here. . . Casually having a conversation. . . Shot to shit. . ." Ashton paused and touched the bandage over his eye. "Missing an eye. . . In an entire other world for fucks sake. . . But alive."

"Language. . ." Weiss said annoyed.

"Yeah." Ashton chuckled. "That's proof enough I'm alive."

"Well. . . You are where you are, Ashton. What'd you say before. . . Don't think, React? Just do that then, React. I'm sure you'll be fine." Ruby said with a smile.

"Thanks I-" Ashton was cut off as the door slid open.

"Terribly sorry I kept you all waiting." The medical technician from before said as he backed through the door. "I was supposed to retrieve you four two hours ago but a serious case came up, Poor kid didn't make it. . . Anyway, If you'll all come with m-" The technician stopped speaking as he turned around, He rushed over and tried to get Ashton to lay back down.

"Calm, Corporal, Remain calm, Everything's fine."

"Doc, Doc, I'm calm, Jeez!" Ashton yelled as he took the man's hand off of his chest.

"Stay laying down, Your wounds aren't done healing, Last thing we need is for you to burst yourself open. . . Can I trust you kids to watch him? I need to notify Lieutenant Murray he's awake." The technician asked, The four teens nodded and he rushed out.

"What was up with that guy. . ." Ashton said as he began to sit up, Weiss pushed him back down.

"You heard him, Lay down."

"What the fuck are you? A nurse?"

"Language. . ."

"Fuckin' bullshit. . ." Ashton muttered, The technician left the door open and the bustle outside could be heard, From where Ashton was laying he would only catch glimpses of the people as they walked past. Suddenly though, A yelling could be heard.

"Psycho!" Someone wearing ODST armor screamed as they burst through the doorway.

"Garcia? What the fuck?"

"Psycho, Shit man, You're alive, You're a-fuckin'-live! How the fuck? Why the fuck? Holy shit, Bro!" The hispanic ODST continued as he got in Ashton's face.

"Garcia. . . What the fuck?" Ashton repeated.

"How the fuck are you alive man!?"

"How the fuck are you? You dumbass." Ashton responded, Not amused with his friends antics.

"How am I? Easy, I didn't disappear into all this bullshit." The ODST responded with a grin. "But seriously, How the hell did you survive? It's hell down there."

"The Covvies weren't always here. . ."

"What?"

"Yeah, I got a few days off before they showed up."

"Lucky bastard. . ."

"How'd things go on your end?" Ashton asked.

"We kicked ass, Balaho belongs to the UNSC now."

"Nice, You kick ass and take names?"

"Of course, We killed extra because you guys were missing."

"Erm, I don't mean to sound rude, But who is this?" Weiss finally interjected, Breaking up the two friends conversation.

"Oh right." Ashton said. "Guys, This is my friend, Garcia, Ruby and Jaune should know him."

"Eh, We should?" Jaune asked.

"We should?" Ruby said surprised.

"Yeah, Remember that video Oz showed you, You know. . .'Boot'."

"You shut up, You said you would stop calling me that!" Garcia yelled.

"Ohhhhh, That's this guy?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah."

"Do you still run in zig zags?" Ruby asked as she cocked her head to the side.

Garcia turned to Ashton. "Ash, What're you showing these kids, That was supposed to stay between me, You, and Jake." He said in a serious tone. "Speaking of Jake, You know where he is?" Garcia asked, Ashton looked away.

"Good morning." Lieutenant Murray said as she entered the room. Garcia went into a salute.

"Hello, Ma'am." Garcia said.

"Good morning to you too, Lance Corporal. . . Do you mind if I-"

"Not at all, Ma'am." Garcia punched Ashton on the shoulder before leaving.

"Hello, Ma'am." Ashton said.

"Hello, Corporal."

"Is there a reason you need to see me, Ma'am?"

"Yes, Corporal, There is."

"Well?"

"If you kids will please exit the room?" Lieutenant Murray asked as she looked up from her datapad. Ruby tried to throw up another sad face. "Not this time, Young lady, Out." Ashton laughed as the four teens stepped out into the hall.

"Well, Ma'am, What is it?"

"Congratulations, Corporal Dommer. Your transfer request has been accepted."

"Transfer request?" Ashton asked.

"Yes, Corporal, Welcome to the SPARTAN-IV program."

"What? Ma'am, You seem to be mistaken. I have never applied for the SPARTAN-IV program." Ashton said as he sat up.

"I know you haven't, Corporal. Simply a formality."

"Formality?"

"Yes, Corporal. A formality, I am well aware you've never requested a transfer to the SPARTAN-IV program."

"Then you're drafting me in. . ."

"Precisely."

"Ma'am, Correct me if I'm wrong, SPARTAN-IV is made entirely of volunteers."

"Ah, SPARTAN-IV is just the cover, Corporal. You're not going to be a SPARTAN-IV."

"Ma'am?"

"No, Corporal, You see. . . ODSTs are becoming obsolete with the dawn of SPARTAN-IV, Eventually all Shock divisions will be disbanded. . . Under current circumstances."

"Ma'am? Where are you going with this?"

"Militaries of the past had multiple special forces units, Similar jobs, Different tasks. At ONI we've been thinking of a way to extend the life of ODST."

"Ma'am, I still don't follow. . ."

"Augments, Corporal, The key to the success of a Spartan, The things that make a Spartan. . . A Spartan. The only problem is they're expensive and incapacitate the newly augmented for quite some time." Lieutenant Murray paused to tap something into her datapad. "I'm going to give you a little surgery, Corporal. Then you'll become the future of ODST. . . The future of the human race."

"Ma'am?"

"Corporal, We at ONI want to eventually make augmenting human beings standard from birth, To make us the best creatures we can be."

Ma'am, You're talking some creepy shit here. . ."

"Corporal, You've been selected, Selected because you are the most compatible out of all ODSTs for the tests, You're going to lead a new generation into the darkness, Guide them. Eventually all humans will be genetically modified, You'll be the first in the tests to standardize this, We've gone to the trouble of coming to another world to get you, Corporal. . . Does that tell you how important this is."

"What if I say, No, Ma'am."

"No? Corporal, You are in no position to say 'No'. Many people have died retrieving you, Their death's will not be in vain. You're going to become the future of warfare, Corporal, The future of every human."

"Ma'am. . .You're starting to freak me out. . ."

"There is no need to feel fear, Corporal. It's not even full augmentations, Nanomachine injections, That's all. Unfortunately, We were going to conduct the test in a pair, But it would appear Montoya is dead. . ."

"So you're telling me, I can't refuse. . . I'm just expected to blindly accept some injections after JUST waking up after being shot. Then I have to blindly accept all of this, Alone. . . Ma'am, I have serious reservations about thi-"

"I'll do it!" Ruby said as she burst into the room. "I'll be his partner

"No." Ashton said.

"What? How did you. . ." Lieutenant Murray began to say. "Never mind, No, You can't, Young lady."

"Come on, Let me!"

"No, You really can't, The dosages I have are for a young man, You would die."

"Then, I'll do it!" Jaune burst into the room.

"No." Ashton said again.

Lieutenant Murray stood up and walked over to Jaune, She looked him up and down and then circled him.

"Please, Let me help." Jaune said.

"No, Jaune. The answer is no." Ashton said.

"Hmmm." Lieutenant Murray said as she studied him. "He's off the same proportions. . . He wouldn't be killed. . ."

"Ma'am, You can't be serious. . ." Ashton said.

"I don't know if I am. . ."

"Ma'am, He's a teenage boy, He has no military training, He's barely shot a gun before."

"Mmm." Lieutenant Murray said.

"Ma'am, You can just get someone else, Someone properly trained. . ." Ashton said.

"I don't know. . . It would be interesting to work on someone from this world. . . To get to see if they're any different."

"Ma'am, You're not a mad scientist, You're a member of the Office of Naval Intelligence."

Lieutenant Murray was ignoring Ashton now. "Alright then. . . What was your name again."

"Jaune Arc."

"Well then, Mr Arc, Let's hope you're not a complete waste of my time." Lieutenant Murray said as she left.

"What!? Ma'am, You can't be serious!?" Ashton yelled after her. "Is anyone even listening to me!?"

"I am." Ruby said.

"I am too." Yang said, She poked her head into the room.

"Me aswell." Weiss said as she rolled her eyes.

"Jaune, Are you fucking crazy?" Ashton asked.

"No, I want to help, Ashton, I can barely fight as is. . . But when you gave me that gun. . ."

"No, The whole point is you're all safe now, On this ship, You don't just throw that away because you want to 'help'."

"Ashton, Give me a chance."

"Jaune, I'm saying this because I care for you as my friend, You are doing something extremely stupid, Leave this to the trained professionals." Ashton said as he got out of the bed, He felt a pain in his gut and held it with one of his hands, He walked over to Jaune and placed his other hand on his shoulder. "You're just gonna end up getting hurt."

"Ash. . .I just."

"I understand, Your home is bleeding, You want to help, I know the feeling. . . God though, I don't know who's worse. . . You for asking, Or the Lieutenant for seriously considering it. . ." Ashton said as two Masters at Arms entered the room.

**General Damien Cato, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"Lieutenant, Pardon my French, But what the fuck are you thinking?"

"Sir?"

"None of this crap of yours makes sense in the first place, I go on this crazy chase for Corporal Dommer and then give you command of him, Now you want me to authorize whatever it is you're doing to Corporal Dommer but. . . To a civilian that's not even from the same goddamn universe as us?"

"Yes."

"Then you're outta your goddamn mind, Lieutenant."

"Sir, This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"Lieutenant, I'm not going to authorize this."

"Sir, He consents, He even volunteered!"

"Lieutenant, Why the hell is this so important to you? You're driving yourself insane over this damn project of yours."

"Sir, People have died for this, I will not allow their deaths to have been in vain."

"Lieutenant, That's not an excuse, You have Corporal Dommer, I'm not authorizing this testing on a civilian."

"Sir, Please."

"No, My answer stands. If you really need to test in pairs I'm sure you can find a capable ODST or Marine."

Lieutenant Murray stood up. "General. . ." She started to say something but turned and left.

**Fifteen minutes later**

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"In ya go." The Master at Arms said as he opened the door to the barracks. The five of them entered the room, The others were sleeping. Ashton walked over to his bunk and plopped down.

"So what now?" Weiss asked.

"What do you mean, What now?"

"I mean, What now? What happens next?"

"Next? I go back to my duty as a UNSC Marine, You lot just. . . Keep safe."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"Look, You're all just civilians here, Your part of the fight is probably done." Ashton said as he rubbed his eye.

"What?"

"Yeah, It's for the best, Hell, I may end up spending the rest of this fight up on this ship with you."

"Why?" Ruby asked, Ashton pointed to the bandage over his eye.

"Can't exactly be much of a sniper without an eye, Now can I?"

"Oh. . ."

"It'll be okay, Hopefully I can get a prosthetic, It's not strange to see UNSC personnel with prosthetics. Arms, Legs, Even eyes."

"They send people into fights even if they're missing a limb?" Weiss asked.

"Well, The prosthetic limbs are combat rated, They could probably punch or kick harder than a flesh and bone counterpart."

"Wow."

"Yeah, It's pretty coo- Wait. . ." Ashton picked up his music player. "Is this my. . . Music player?"

"Uhhh, What?" Ruby said as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Damn, That's a nasty crack. . .Wonder how it got out he-" Ashton looked at all of his stuff on the floor. "You guys didn't. . ."

"We did." Yang giggled.

Ashton groaned and picked up the combat knife off the floor, He stabbed it into the side of his bunk.

"Whoa!" Jaune said in a surprised tone. "That's really sharp."

"Nah, Just thin metal." Ashton said as he pulled the knife out with ease. He tossed it to Jaune. "Keep it."

"Really?" He asked.

"Yeah, My machete is way better."

While Ashton tossed Jaune the knife Yang crawled into one of the bunks, She went back to sleep, But of course, To make Ashton uncomfortable she planted one of the magazines over her face.

"Does she always do things like that?"

"Yes. . ." Ruby said as she looked at the ground.

"Well, She's got the right idea, Some sleep will do y'all good, They'll be waking the others up in a few hours anyway." Ashton said as he laid down.

"Alright, I'll see you in a few hours." Ruby said, She hopped up into a bunk above Yang and laid down.

"Thanks. . . Ashton." Jaune said as he examined the knife, He walked over to where his team was and climbed into a bunk.

Ashton stared at the top of the bunk above him, It didn't take him long though to realise a pair of icy blue eyes were still staring at him.

"Go to sleep." Ashton said as he turned his head.

"I'm not tired." Weiss responded. She sat down on the bunk adjacent to him.

"Yes." He laughed. "You are."

"Why?" she asked him.

"Hmmm?"

"Why did you do it?"

Ashton stared back up at the bunk above him and let out a sigh. "It was the right thing to do, The situation happened. . . I reacted."

"It's my fault." Weiss said.

"Nah, It ain't your fault. It isn't anyone's fault, We don't control what happens on a battlefield, Weiss. We can only adapt to it."

"It is my fault, Now you're missing an eye. . ."

"Like I said, I'll just get a prosthetic, Don't blame yourself for my actions. I mean what'd you say I was? A gun-toting vulgar mouthed idiot, Yeah. . .I wouldn't doubt it."

"Yeah. . ."

"Don't worry, You're safe here, Everything's fine." Ashton paused. "You're fine, I'm fine, Everyone's fine."

"But you're not fine." Weiss said.

"Huh? I think I'm fine."

"Ashton. . .I've. . . Seen the pictures of you. . .Your friends."

"Yeah, So?"

"So, You're not fine, It's clear just from looking at those. . .I'm scared, Because I care." She said.

"Well thanks, But I've been just fine before I had you guys caring about me."

"Yeah. . ." Weiss said. "Right. . ."

"It's okay, Weiss. It really is."

Weiss stood up and walked over to where Ashton was, She kneeled down next to him.

"I know you talked to my father one last time before we left. . ." She said as she looked down at the ground. "Can you tell me what he said?"

"Well, If I remember correctly." Ashton paused to think. "You're stubborn, Mean, Also you're a difficult person." Ashton let a smile cross his face.

"That sounds like him. . ."

"But, He also asked me to keep you safe. . . To protect you. . . That's why I took the hit, Happy now?" Ashton asked.

Weiss started to cry. Ashton rubbed the top of her head and gave her as much of a hug as he could, He didn't want to burst the stitching on his chest. She cried softly into his shoulder for another five minutes before she finally stopped.

"Thank you. . ." She managed to say, She stood up and started to walk back to where she was before.

"Wait." Ashton said. "Here." He patted the bunk above his. Weiss climbed up into the bunk and laid down.

"Ashton." Weiss said.

"Yes?"

"Thanks again. . ."

"Shhh, Go to sleep."

**Lieutenant Alice Murray, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"Data log, Lieutenant Alice Murray, Office of Naval Intelligence." Lieutenant Murray said into a recorder within the room that she was using as her office. "General Cato fails to see the opportunity we have at hand. To test on these humans from another world, From what I've seen so far they possess special abilities. . Some of them do anyway. I will not let him get in the way of what could be an important breakthrough. Later today I'll perform the injections on Corporal Dommer, Hopefully the boy too. There's something strange about that boy. . ." Lieutenant Murray paused. "Hell, With everything going on. . . I'm starting to go crazy, All this stress. . . I don't know if I'll ever go home. . . If I'll ever see my family again, I'm scared. . . I hate to admit it, Our best chance of survival at this rate is if these tests succeed. . . I never believed in a God. . . Hell, Most people don't these days. . . But boy, It's times like this I bet every person aboard this ship is praying enough that the Devil himself would burn up just looking in our general direction. . . Lieutenant Murray, Out."

**A/N: And that's Chapter 6, Hope you enjoyed it, Sorry if the chapter seems a bit lazy, I rushed it, I wanted to get it out before I go back to school. In other news, I've changed the cover image, Hope you like the new one, If you're interested in the old cover image you can actually search ODSTDommer on deviantART to find it, You'll find I've also started making unit insignias for the UNSC units I feature in this story, Just a fun little side project, Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter, Leave a review, Seems Lieutenant Murray's stress is getting to her, Wonder how that'll affect her. . . Now if you'll excuse me I need to go pass out, It's 6 AM, See you next time!**


	7. Act 1, Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Halo they are respectively owned by Rooster Teeth and 343 Industries**

(Text / Speech)

**(Flashbacks / Author Notes / Video Recordings)**

_(Thoughts)_

**Chapter 7: Into the fire, Feet first.**

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"Wakie wakie, Motherfucker." Ashton snapped awake at the voice, Garcia was standing above him in his BDU. "Come on, Psycho. Get your ass in gear."

"Good morning to you too, Sweetie."

"Yeah yeah yeah, Come on, Man." Garcia took a step back before speaking again. "That mean's all of you chicks and dicks as well. Get up."

"What's with all the noise. . ." Yang groaned, The magazine she had put over her face slowly slid off onto the floor.

"It's 0600, Little lady. We let your asses sleep in. If y'all want chow, You'd best hurry up. Y'all should catch a shower too, Ya fuckin' stink." Garcia said as he pinched his nose.

"Yeah yeah, I'm well aware I haven't showered in two days." Ashton said as he sat up.

"Well then get your ass in gear, Marine. You got a big day today." Garcia let a goofy grin cross his face.

"Okay first off, I'm still an NCO and outrank you. So cut the shit, Man. Secondly, How the fuck do you know?"

Garcia's grin only widened. "I know because I've been tasked with watching you, Make sure ya don't do anything stupid. As for rank." Garcia only tapped his rank insignia with his middle finger, Instead of the one chevron with crossed rifles beneath Ashton was used to seeing on Garcia there was now a second chevron, Garcia had been promoted.

"When the fu-"

"They did it so you couldn't order me to fuck off." Garcia's grin kept widening.

"Well then, Congratu-fucking-lations." Ashton joked as he stood up, He punched Garcia's arm as hard as he could.

"DAMMIT! What was that for?"

"Just welcoming you to the NCO club, Bud." Ashton laughed as he gave the younger Marine a noogie.

"Why are you all so loud!" Weiss finally bursted awake.

"Fucks sake, Man, She always like this?" Garcia asked.

"Yep. . ."

"Right, Come on kiddies, Get your asses in gear." Garcia said, He and Ashton went and waited by the door, They were talking loudly and occasionally would either break out laughing or hit each other. The members of team RWBY and JNPR slowly woke up and greeted each other.

"I don't like this guy." Weiss said as she came over to where Ruby, Yang, and Blake were. "He's about as dumb as Ashton."

"You seem to think everyone from where Ashton's from is dumb." Blake said as Garcia went to punch Ashton as a joke but missed, His hand hit the metal wall and he let out a scream. "Point taken. . ."

"I take it back, He's dumber."

"He was in that picture with him though, So they have to be good friends." Ruby said as she rubbed her eyes.

"Oh you think Ashton's dumb?" Yang said with a grin, She got really close to Weiss. "Let's be honest, Weiss. You really think he's dumb?"

"I. . . ." Weiss was flustered with Yang doing what she was doing, Yang put her arm around Weiss as she turned her around.

"I heard everything last night." Yang said with a giggle. "So don't think I forgot our chat."

"Heard what?" Ruby asked.

"Nothing."

"What was there to hear?" Blake raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing."

"Are you suuuuuuure?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, We're sure." They both said.

"Yo, Kiddies, Seriously, Get your asses in gear, Any longer and this ship's gonna smell so bad the Bravo Kilos will be able to sniff us out!" Garcia called.

The group, Rather annoyed with being reminded of how smelly they were, Followed Ashton and Garcia out of the room.

"So where are we going?" Jaune asked.

"Like stated before, Getting your nasty asses to the nearest shower." Ashton said with a yawn.

"It's not. . . unisex is it?"

"Of course not, This is a ship of war, Not a party boat." Ashton acted like it was the stupidest question ever.

Garcia chuckled. "Yeah, Keep it in your pants kid."

"That's not what I wa- Nevermind." Jaune said, He knew he would just lose an argument with the two of them.

"Chicks get dumped here." Ashton said as he walked past a door, He jabbed his thumb in it's direction and kept walking. He stopped at a corner briefly to chat with someone before he continued.

"Yeah, Goodbye to you too." Weiss muttered.

"What's up with him?" Ren asked.

"He's getting back into his routine."

"His routine of?" Jaune asked.

"Being an ass in the morning." Garcia said. "Trust me, I know better than anyone. Anyway, Like he said, Ladies, This is your stop, Try not to get killed by any of the female personnel. A'ight?"

"So, We just. . . Go in?"

"Nah, You wait until it magically sucks you in." Garcia waved them off as he motioned for Jaune and Ren to follow him. They made their way down the hall and rounded the corner Ashton had gone around.

"Well that doesn't answer anything. . ." Yang said.

**Ten Minutes Later**

**Corporal Ashton Dommer, July 17th, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

Ashton looked at himself in the mirror, Examined himself again as he had done a few days ago. The cuts on his chin from his arrival had mostly faded. He looked at his chest, Bright red marks and some stitching where he had been shot, UNSC Medical technology did wonders, His body itself was a testament to that. But the many scars across his body were proof enough that the tech could only do so much.

"Whoa, What's that?"

Ashton turned around to find Jaune.

"Jaune, Why're you still out here. . . You should be finishing up in the shower."

"Well. . . I don't wanna go in there."

"Why not?"

"I don't feel comfortable in a public shower. . ."

"Let me just make sure I'm getting this right, You're willing to jump in and endanger your life, Volunteer yourself for experimental surgery, But God forbid you go into a public shower. . . Get your priorities straight, Jaune."

"Ash, Come on, I thought we agreed not to talk abo-."

"Jaune. . . I want you to seriously think about this. You're seventeen, Your entire life is ahead of you."

"Didn't you sign up for this when you were seventeen?"

"Yeah, But there was nothing holding me back. You've got people you care about Jaune, People that care about you, Friends. The last thing they want is to see you get hurt, And the last thing you want is to see them hurt I would assume."

"Of course."

"Then don't be stupid like me." Ashton said as he patted Jaune on the shoulder.

"Please, Ashton. . ."

"Jaune, Are you absolutely sure this is what you want?"

"With all my heart, My world is in danger and I want to defend it to the best of my ability, And I. . . I know you can understand that feeling Ashton."

"What are you willing to give up for victory?"

"Huh?"

"Answer me, Jaune. What are you willing to give for victory?"

"Anything."

"Anything? Up to and including your life?"

"Ye-"

"Even if you don't die, You become mentally scarred for life, Permanently disabled, Or worse."

"Yes. . . Yes, I'd give anything."

"Then." Ashton paused as he punched Jaune really hard in the shoulder. "Hurry up and shower, Get some chow, Then you're going to the range."

"The range?"

"Mhmm, Your marksmanship sucks. It ain't terrible, But you'd barely pass BCT."

"BC-"

"Basic Combat Training." Ashton cut him off. "My point exactly, Jaune, You have a lot to learn, Now go."

**Ruby Rose, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"So." Ruby paused. "What do you think is gonna happen now?"

"I dunno." Yang replied.

"Well, Are we really done fighting?"

"Only time will tell." Blake said.

"But, I want to continue fighting, We can't just stop now."

"True, But I think it would be best to leave everything to these people, They know how to combat those things." Weiss said, Ruby, Yang, and Weiss had formed a small perimeter around Blake so she could wash herself. They didn't need anymore people than necessary to know she was a faunus.

"Seriously though, We can't just do nothing." Ruby protested.

"Well what do you suggest we do?" Weiss asked her.

"Well. . . We could talk to Ashton about it, Or that General guy from the other day."

"And what do you think they would say, Sis? 'Sure go ahead'?"

"Well. . . No."

"Exactly, He put it best last night when he said that our part in the fight was probably done." Weiss said.

"Of course you think he put it best." Yang said to Weiss as she made a kissy face.

"Why you little-" Weiss went to grab Yang but Ruby pushed them apart.

"Jeez! What's gotten into you two!"

"I know what's gotten into Weiss." Yang said with a grin, Weiss immediately went to grab her again.

"Stop it! Seriously, What's wrong with you two!"

"I know what's going on between them." Blake said as she looked up from washing her hair, Ruby gave her a look telling Blake she was still clueless. "What's wrong with them i-"

Blake was suddenly cut off by an alarm, A male voice came on over the speakers "This is not a drill, This is not a drill. General Quarters, General Quarters. All hands man your battlestations." The alarm sounded one more time, The other women in the shower area scrambled to get on their clothes and rushed out.

"What's going on?" Weiss asked.

"No idea, It doesn't sound good."

**General Damien Cato, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"Well, Have they spotted us?" General Cato asked one of the crewmen sitting at a console. "Answer me, Son, Have they spotted us?"

"Hard to say, Sir." The crewman paused. "They're definitely looking for us…"

"Dammit, Tell all flights to scramble, I don't want anything coming towards to ship until these scouts have cleared out." On the console a squadron of Banshee's glided through space, Clearly scouting for the UNSC ship's position.

"Aye aye, Sir."

"Sir, Corporal Dommer is requesting access to the firing range."

"Do you really think I have time for that right now?"

"Of course not, Sir." The crewman sighed as he gave Ashton the clearance.

"I want two F-41's out there now, Eliminate and distract those Banshee's away from us." General Cato said. "Defenses up and alert, Be ready for anything."

**Ten Minutes Later**

**Ruby Rose, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"So I trust you all enjoyed your shower then?" Garcia asked the members of team RWBY and JNPR, They were sitting in the mess deck of the Cerberus. The teens were eating a nice hot breakfast, The mess deck was basically empty except for them as the crew were on General Quarters.

"Could have been better." Ren said.

"Not to your liking?"

"No, The water shut off on it's own."

"Of course it did, That's how we keep people moving."

"Right… Garcia, Was it?"

"Mhmm." Garcia nodded as he took a bite of some eggs on his plate.

"Wasn't your job to watch Ashton?" Ruby asked.

Garcia shrugged as he took another bite. "He's a big boy, He can handle himself, This ship is like his second home anyway."

"But… Wasn't that the only reason you got your… Promotion?" Jaune asked.

Garcia only shrugged again.

"So how long have you known Ashton?" Weiss asked.

"Couple months, But he's already the best friend I ever had."

"Interesting." Weiss said. "How old are you?"

"Twenty one, I'm a year younger than him."

Yang practically spit out her drink. "He's only twenty two!? When was he born!?"

Garcia leaned back a bit to get away from Yang who had almost gotten in his face. "2533… Jeez…"

"Sup' bitch?" A person the group hadn't seen before said to Garcia as he plopped down next to him, He had a thick accent the teens weren't familiar with.

"Oh, Hey, Rip. Been tasked with watching these kiddies."

"Kiddies, Eh?" The man said as he gave the teens a once over. "Must fuckin' suck, Eh?"

"They're not too bad." Garcia looked up from the glass of juice he was drinking. "Oh right, Kiddies, This is Ripchord."

"Hey." The man said, He could clearly care less about the teens.

"Wait, Rip… Shouldn't you be… Keeping your bird ready to go?"

"I fly a fuckin' Pelican ya dimwit, What good am I gonna do in a fuckin' dogfight?" The man said as he hit Garcia on the back of the head.

"Why do they call you Ripchord?" Ruby asked as she tilted her head sideways.

The man looked at her as if she had just personally insulted him.

"Let's just say… He ain't the best pilot." Garcia said.

"Ah, Fuck you." The man hit Garcia on the head again. "I'm gonna go get a coffee." The man stood up and went across the room to a self service coffee machine.

"His mouth is worse than Ashton's." Yang commented.

"Yeah, Rip seems like a real asshole, But he's a big softie on the inside." Garcia said. "He's one of the finest pilots in the UNSC… Just has a tendency to get shot down."

"What are you looking at?" Blake asked Weiss, She had been staring down into her lap for some time now.

"Nothing." Weiss said, Still not looking up, She had one of her hands over her ear. Nora was playing with her food and flicked some in Jaune's direction.

"Come on, Let me see." Yang said as she pushed her way in.

"It's nothing!" Weiss yelled as Yang pushed Weiss's arms out of the way. Yang held up Ashton's music player.

"Oh, I thought it was going to be something interesting." Yang said as she tossed it back at Weiss.

"It is interesting." She said. "You learn more about this other worlds culture by doing things like listening to their music."

"Boooooooring." Yang said as she made a fake snoring sound. "I heard some of it the other night it's the same electro stuff they play in clubs."

"Please, Can the two of you not start another argument… Again?" Blake asked.

"Sorry." Yang said as she looked down. "I guess the stress is just getting to m-"

"EY YO, MICKEY!" Garcia suddenly yelled out, Another person dressed like him had come into the room. Strangely enough, This new arrival seemed to be escorting other people from Remnant.

"Wassup, Garcia?" The young man asked as he walked over, He placed his boot up on the table, Right in front of Pyrrha who did not seem to appreciate it.

"They got you babysitting too?"

"Hell yeah, Man. Light shit though."

"Yeah, I hear ya, These ones don't make too much of a fuss." Garcia said as he jabbed a thumb in their direction.

"We're right here." Ren said, Garcia ignored him.

"How you been man?"

"Ah, Ain't nothin'. Big news is though, I hear he's back."

"Oh he's back."

"Damn, I haven't seen him yet. He good?"

"He's the same old self… He missin' an eye though."

"Bullshit, Something finally nailed him?" The young man that Garcia had called Mickey said as he flipped himself around and was now sitting on the table.

"Why would I bullshit about that? Next time you see him he's got an eyepatch and everything, He's like a damn pirate." Garcia said as Ripchord came back with his cup of coffee, Mickey couldn't hold back his laughter.

"Oh yeah… Almost forgot about you kiddies, Plop ya' asses down." Mickey said as he looked up at the group he was in charge of.

"So he knows Ashton too?" Ruby asked, Mickey looked back at her.

"The fuck is she?"

"Just a kid, And yeah, He does."

"Wait I know that voice…" Someone from the group Mickey was escorting said. Sun suddenly pushed his way out from the middle of the group.

"You guys are alive! Look at that." He said.

"Sun!." Most of the teens were a bit surprised to see him.

"Hey, How's it going?" Neptune asked, He came out behind Sun.

"You guys made it out alive." Ruby said.

"Yeah, You seen what's going down?" Sun asked as he plopped down.

"Of course we have." Blake said. "First hand."

"Right, We were hanging around Beacon, Big ape thing comes outta nowhere, Pins him to a wall." Sun jabbed his thumb in Neptune's direction. "So I'm trying to get him out of there, Deal with this big ape, Next thing I know gunfire all around us, Big ape's dead and we're being held at gunpoint."

"UNSC found you then." Weiss said.

"That's what these guys are called?" Neptune asked.

"Yeah, United Nations Something Something." Yang said. "I dunno, They're good guys though."

"One nearly shot me." Sun chuckled.

"Can't say I blame him." Ren spoke up. "Probably never saw a Faunus in their life before."

"What makes you say that?" Neptune asked.

"Trust us, We know." Blake paused. "Definitely found that one out first hand."

"You guys sure do seem to know a lot about what's goin on." Neptune said. "You working with them or something?"

"Let's just say… We've had quite a few days to learn about all this." Yang said.

"What do you mea-" Sun was cut off as Ashton burst the door open, He was resting an MA5C on his shoulder and had a cigarette he was taking puffs from in his other hand.

"Whoa." Ruby said. "He's like an sci-fi hero…." She muttered as Yang punched her on the shoulder to get her to be quiet.

Ashton walked over to the small group that had gathered, A silence set in for a few seconds. The other group of teens, Having never seen him before, Were a bit shocked.

"You son of a bitch." Mickey finally spoke up, He walked up to Ashton and gave him a hug. "Why don't you die already dammit?"

"Mick?" Ashton said.

"Yeah?"

"Let me fucking go."

"Ah, Fuck you too, Patchy." Mickey said as he punched Ashton.

"You call me Patchy one more goddamn time, I go back to calling you Shitstain, We clear?"

Mickey tensed up a bit, But smiled before sitting back down.

"Seriously though, You thick headed bastard, Die already." Ripchord spoke up.

"Nice to see you again too, Buddy. Crash anymore Pelican's lately?"

Another silence set in, Before Neptune spoke. "I don't think these guys actually like each other." All four Marines suddenly broke out laughing hysterically.

"Ah, Enough bullshit. How ya been man?" Mickey asked, The Marines went back to ignoring the teens.

"Been better, I prefer it when I'm not a cyclops."

"You could still probably fly better than Rip." Garcia said, The older Marine gave Mickey a death stare.

"So you here to grab some chow?"

"Nah, I got work to do."

"Work? You're barely healed and they're working you again, God damn." Mickey said.

"Yeah." Ashton said as he turned his attention towards Jaune. "Off your ass and on your face."

"Huh?" Jaune said, He had no idea what was going on.

"I said, Off your ass and on your face, Now…" Ashton said.

"Oooooh, Shit." Garcia chuckled.

"I don't even kno-"

"Pushup position, Limp dick." Mickey said turning his head around to face Jaune.

"But why do I-"

"You asked for this shit, Jauney." Ashton laughed. "You ain't gonna get no basic training, This is all you're gonna get in terms of preparatory."

"No way? This kid volunteered himself?" Garcia asked.

"Sure as hell did, I was there, Watched him. Now on your face." Jaune finally reluctantly got on the floor.

"Start pushing, Twenty, Go." Ashton said as he kneeled down in front of him, Jaune started to do the pushups but Ashton stopped him. "Nah nah nah nah, Count it out, Like this: One, Two, Three, One. One, Two, Three, Two. One, Two, Three, Four. Until you get to twenty."

Jaune did the pushups while everyone watched, By the end he was struggling to hold the up position as Ashton told him to.

"He's got a lot to learn…" Ripchord said.

"Damn straight, On your feet."

"Got it, Ash-" Jaune was cut off as Ashton placed his boot on his back and pushed him back down.

"You will refer to me as 'Sir' or 'Corporal' from now on, Am I clear, Recruit?"

"Y-yes, Corporal." Jaune stammered out, Ashton was beginning to scare him.

"Now, On your feet."

As Jaune clambered up to his feet Ashton practically threw the MA5C at him, Jaune caught it but fumbled with it am nearly dropped it to the floor. Garcia and Mickey couldn't help but laugh, Rip remained silent.

"Ashton, Don't you think you're being a bit harsh on hi-" Pyrrha tried to interject but Rip shushed her.

"Let's go, Run me… Two laps around the mess." Ashton said with a yawn, Jaune took off immediately sprinting as fast as he could.

"Who approved this again?" Mickey asked.

"ONI spook Lieutenant did." Ashton said as he put his cigarette out by snuffing it against the table.

"Fuckin' spooks…" Garcia commented.

"Ashton, You're being a bit harsh on him." Pyrrha finally got to say.

"No, I'm not." He responded as he turned to her. "I'm making sure he's one of two things, Prepared as much as I can prepare him, Or scare the shit out of him as much as I can, Either one is trying to avoid him getting killed."

Jaune finished his first lap with the rifle and stumbled, Neptune and Sun let out a small laugh as he did so. Mickey did not take kindly to it.

"Oi, Cotton candy, Apeshit. I suppose you wanna join him?" Mickey said as he looked over to them.

"No…" They both said.

"Damn straight, So shut ya' fuckin' mouths." Mickey said annoyed. "Fuckin' kids…"

"Yeah…" Ashton said as he strolled over to where team RWBY was sitting. "They can get annoying, But these kids will still kick your ass Mick.." He looked down at Weiss and took his music player out of her hand, He flipped it over a few times before focusing on the crack in it, He let a small smile cross his face before tucking it into his BDU pocket. Jaune finished his second lap around the mess deck, He leaned himself up against the wall but didn't sit down.

"Five minutes… " Ripchord said as he shook his head. "Last Pelican would have left after three…"

"He'll learn." Ashton said. "And if not… He'll die." Ashton said as he patted Jaune on the shoulder.

"But, As-" Jaune was cut off as Ashton pushed him towards the door, Causing him to drop the rifle. Neptune and Sun laughed again, Mickey shot them another death glare.

"Move it, Get to the range." Ashton said as Jaune picked the MA5C back up. "We don't got time to dick around, Let's go."

"Teach him to shoot at least half straight." Ripchord commented as he pushed past them.

"Mick, Control your kids, Garcia, Make sure they don't start any trouble." Ashton commented as he left the room. "Also, Stop stealing my shit." Ashton called.

**Lieutenant Alice Murray, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

Lieutenant Murray sat down in her chair, The moment she had been waiting for was finally upon her. The chance to finish her experimentation, To begin the next generation of not only ODST, But the future of the human race, And with being stuck in this new world the opportunity to test on a person from the new world presented itself… And then General Cato snatched it away, Denied her permission to perform the procedure on that boy.

"The General will see… He'll see." She commented to herself as she contemplated what to do, She let her hair, Which she normally kept neat and tied back, Fall down in front of her face. She could just out right disobey General Cato, Back in her world she would be court martialled, But then again ONI would just get her out of it. But here, General Cato was as high as the UNSC chain of command went. There would be no court martial. But then again, There was no ONI HIGHCOM to get her out of trouble. The young Navy Lieutenant sighed with frustration, She almost always knew what to do, What to expect. But the events of the last few days had blindsided her, Ever since the Covenant ruined her original plan.

"Ma'am." A Master at Arms said as he stepped into the room.

"Yes?"

"I've done as instructed, Corporal Dommer and the boy are currently in the firing range, They are fully monitored. Shall… I have my men pull them out?"

"No… That'd only cause a panic. We'll begin the procedure in two hours, God knows how much time we have left…"

"Understood, Ma'am." The Master at Arms said as he saluted and left the room.

"No need to panic them…" She commented to herself, Alone again. "They'll have to go through hell soon enough…"

Lieutenant Murray stood up and walked across the room, She pressed her face against the glass and stared down at the strange planet below. She pondered what new opportunities this world held, If they survived long enough that was. She sighed as she let herself fall to the floor, She was tired.

"Going by the conversation yesterday…. They don't know." She thought aloud. "Those kids will become a problem if I don't do something soon…" Lieutenant Murray said before letting her eyes close.

**Jaune Arc, July 17 -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"High, Left." Ashton's voice interrupted Jaune's focus. They were in the range deck on the Cerberus, Ashton was trying to teach Jaune basic marksmanship.

"What do you mean, High, Left?" Jaune asked as he looked up, Ashton moved Jaune's had back into position with his foot.

"I mean, Your last burst went high and to the left. Fix it."

Jaune refocused and aimed the rifle, It's weight felt good in his hands, And he was finding it much easier to aim and fire it when he was laying down like Ashton had told him to do. Jaune lowered his aim as instructed and applied pressure to the trigger, A burst of 7.62x51mm Full Metal Jacket hit home on the target, Jaune listened as the spent casings clinked against the floor next to him.

"Better… Of course you don't have this much time to aim in a combat situation."

"Yeah…" Jaune said.

"Alright, Well now that you got that rifle zeroed in, We can begin."

"What!? We haven't even started yet? What did we just do for the past twenty minutes?"

"We got you introduced to the weapon, And you zeroed it in." Ashton said as he hit a button on the wall, The target in Jaune's lane dematerialized and reappeared as if it was about an extra 200 meters away.

"WHAT!?" Jaune said again. "How am I supposed to hit that!?"

"Relax! It's just 250 meters, Your effective range is around 500."

Jaune grumbled some more as he took up aim again. He hit the fire mode selection switch on the rifle and set it to 'Semi-Auto'. He held his breath like Ashton had taught him and he concentrated. Jaune applied pressure to the trigger and the shot let loose, It nailed a little high of the bullseye.

"Good." Ashton commented. "We may just make a rifleman out of you yet."

**Fifteen minutes later**

Jaune let the magazine fall out of the rifle and he placed it in the pile with the other empty ones next to him, Fifteen in all. Ashton stopped Jaune as he began to load a fresh one, He pointed to the target. Jaune had started a bit sloppy, But on his last few magazines he kept a very tight grouping.

"You're a natural." Ashton said. "Congrats, Rifleman. You can shoot."

Jaune let a small smile cross his face. "Heh, Thanks."

"Now, We get down to business." Ashton said, He walked over to a locker and pulled out an SRS-99D-S2 and two magazines for it. Ashton shouldered the large rifle and walked over to the control panel, He hit some buttons and the target dematerialized and reappeared at what appeared to be such a far distance Jaune could barely see it.

"Uh….I don't think I can do that."

"Oh you can, You have the easy job." Ashton said as he lay the weapon down next to Jaune.

"Hmmm?" Jaune asked as Ashton kneeled next to him.

"I'm a sniper, Jaune. More importantly, I'm recon. You know what that makes me?"

"Really good with girls?"

"What? No. That makes me a Scout Sniper. If you're going to work with me, That makes you one too."

"Okay?"

"Now, We're a team. Traditionally the less experienced shooter is the Sniper, So you'll be using the rifle… I'll be your Spotter."

"Spotter?" Jaune asked.

"I will spot, Designate, And assign targets for you, I will also confirm whether your shots hit, What you need to do to correct for a miss, And provide security so you don't get your ass shot while focusing."

"Oh…" Jaune said as he took everything in.

"Which brings me to my final point…" Ashton said.

"What?"

"Again, We're going to be a team. A team requires a bond of trust. I need to know I can trust you."

"In that case, You can trust me, As- Corporal." Jaune corrected himself.

"Can I, Jaune? Can I really?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever put your life in someone elses hands, Jaune? Or had someone put their life in yours?"

"Yes… Actually." Jaune said.

"Then you know trust like that is important, So can I trust my life is going to be safe with you at my six, Jaune?"

"Yes." Jaune said as he let a determined look cross his face.

"And do you feel comfortable with me at your six?"

"Of course, You've been there for me these past few days, I know I can trust you."

"Then… I'm going to be blunt… We don't have much time." Ashton said as he leaned back and sat down on the floor.

"What do you mean?"

"Covenant invasions usually follow the same pattern, Invade, Secure artifacts important to their religion, Bug out and glass the planet."

"Alright?"

"They won't find anything important to their religion Jaune… They're gonna start glassing the planet soon… People are going to die… Lots of people."

"People are already dead." Jaune said as he looked over to him.

"Trust me… This ain't nothin', I'm talking the entire population of your planet. Burned until they are glass. We've got about one more day probably until they begin.. Maybe less. Then maybe two more days for them to finish."

"Well…" Jaune paused to think. "We'll give it our all then."

Ashton looked at him and chuckled. "Well, That does it, You just refuse to get intimidated, Don't you?"

"I figure what do I have to lose?" Jaune said.

"Well, You passed my test. As for what you have to lose, You got your family, Wherever they are."

"If they're still alive…"

"Never assume the worst… You also have all your friends who care about you dearly."

"Yeah… I guess you're right."

"Then you got her." Ashton said as he leaned forward and set up the spotter's scope.

"Hmm?"

"That girl… Red hair… Fuck's her name again…"

"You mean… Pyrrha?"

"Yeah, Her." Ashton got on his stomach and started making adjustments, He pressed a button on the side of the spotter's scope and sent the data over to the scope on Jaune's rifle. "Make your adjustments."

"What about her?" Jaune said as he adjusted his aim according to the data Ashton had sent him.

"Aw, You can't be that blind. She cares about you, That was clear enough to me with how much she whined about me PTing you back there."

"Yeah I gue-"

"Take your shot." Ashton cut him off, Jaune refocused and took aim. The controls for the scope were relatively simple, Jaune zoomed in and aimed above the target like the data Ashton sent him was telling him to. Jaune applied pressure to the trigger and fired, The SRS had a lot more kick to it than the MA5C, But Jaune's shot managed to hit the target.

"I… Did it."

"Don't get cocky, Remember, These are all just simulated conditions, I also didn't simulate wind or coriolis effect. Things we will have to account for down on the surface."

"Right…" Jaune said.

"D'aw, Let the kid have some pride in his work." Garcia said from behind them.

"JESUS H. CHRIST!" Ashton spun around on his back.

"Seriously?" Garcia asked. "How the fuck do you still get scared?"

"'Fuck you, Asshole." Ashton responded.

"Language!" Weiss said as she went and leaned against the far wall.

"How long you been here?"

"Just walked in, They were done with chow."

"Alright… Damn." Ashton sighed.

"You okay?" Yang asked Ashton as she kneeled down next to him.

"Oh, I'm fine, Took all my restraint not to kick his shins out, But fine."

"Oooooh." Yang said as she picked up the spotter's scope.

"No, Yang don'-"

"Wow, This is cool." She said as she leaned onto her back and looked at the ceiling with it. "Ruby, Check this out." Yang tossed it over to her sister.

"Ooooh, It is nice… But I already took one scope from Ashton… I don't think I need another."

"Which reminds me to ask." Ren said. "Are we going to receive our weapons back?"

"Do you really need them?" Garcia said.

"Yeah, I mean… You're pretty safe up here… For now." Ashton said. "You don't need to walk around armed constantly."

"Hmm?" Weiss said as she motioned towards the SRS on the floor. "Hmmm!" She pointed at the locker full of weapons. "HMMM!?" She finally concluded by pointing to the pistol on Garcia's hip.

"Fair point, But we're trained professionals."

"Don't feed me that." Weiss said. "You may be the professionals where you're from, But you're starting to treat us like we can't fight at all, You're forgetting we attend a school which trains warriors." She was starting to become her old self again.

"Yes, And tell me which part of your education trained you to fight the Covenant?"

"We seem to have handled fairly well against them." She said.

"Really? According to what I've seen, Vale is basically overrun, And that Atlas place mentioned before sounds like they were completely destroy-"

"Don't finish that sentence." Weiss cut him off. "I still have friends and family there."

Ashton looked down for a moment before looking her directly in the eyes. "Sorry, Seems the stress really is getting to all of us…" Ashton paused and looked at all the members of team RWBY an JNPR. "Look… I know you all want to help… It's in your nature. But the best thing you can do to help right now is to just… Keep calm and out of the way while we figure out what we're doing."

"It seems you're all quite lively today." Professor Ozpin said as he stepped into the range, Goodwitch followed close behind, Her arm was in a sling.

"Professor Ozpin!" Ruby said.

"Hmm?"

"It seems like you disappeared, Professor." Pyrrha said. "We hadn't seen you since we arrived here."

"Yes, I've been taking care of business. Speaking with those in charge here, Settling things down, Making contact with General Ironwood."

"Oh yeah…" Ashton said. "That dude we were supposed to meet."

"Yes, It appears your commander, General… Cato I believe his name was, Was very interested in meeting Ironwood after I mentioned him."

"Good, Let them talk out plans. I don't speak grand strategy." Ashton said as he stood up. "I'll be off now. Jaune, Pack up the rifle into the locker for me, Oh… And I hope you handle needles well, You'll be getting a few injections before we go under."

"Go…. under?" Jaune asked.

"Just a term for surgery, Jaune." Ashton shook his head. "Enjoy the hour you got left with your friends, And think about our talk."

"Got it." Jaune said as he nodded his head.

Ashton stopped in front of Professor Ozpin. "Thank you for everything you've done, Professor." Ashton said as he shook his hand. "I honestly don't know if I'll be seeing you again, So this may be goodbye."

"Then good luck to you young man, Regardless if we see each other."

"Oh, And goodbye to you too, Miss Warden." Ashton said with a mock bow to Glynda.

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yes, Best of luck to you too."

"I'll catch you guys later!" Ashton called as he stepped out into the hall. He walked down the grey halls until he reached an intersection, He paused and leaned against one wall, He chuckled to himself as he took his music player out of his pocket and popped the earbuds into his ears. "It's been one helluva ride." He muttered.

Ashton made a right turn and headed back towards the mess deck of the ship, He still hadn't had a proper meal. He scrolled the the song list on the music player, The crack on the screen was very noticeable but he didn't mind it. What he did mind was that the others had seemingly gone through everything on here, There wasn't much, He really did only use it to hold his music. But it still annoyed him that they had gone through nearly all of his stuff. He let out a sigh as he went through the metal doors into the mess deck, It was empty now.

He made his way over to first get himself a cup of coffee, The electronic beats playing in his ears were calming him down little by little. He really was stressed out near his limit, He thought he had finally caught a break and then… Boom, Suckerpunched by the Covenant again. He placed the cup under the dispenser and hit the buttons to make his selection of drink, The hot liquid dribbled down and slowly filled the cup, Ashton looked down and pressed a button on his music player to change the song that was playing… Then he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Ashton spun around defensively, Knocking over his cup in the process. He was met face to face with Weiss. She was giving him a weird look like he was crazy.

"You really do freak out when people come up behind you…" She said.

"What do you want?" He said, A bit annoyed as he had to clean up the mess he made. "I kinda came here to spend some time in peace."

"Well, First I just wanted to… Apologize for how things went down back there."

"Really now? Because it seems to me everytime you've apologized to me it was with some ulterior motive in mind." Ashton said with a grin. "Can you even be sincere?" As he turned his head he found she was giving him a death stare. "Alright, Alright. Apology accepted, Jeez."

"There." She lightened up a bit. "Secondly, I… Just wanted to talk."

"Talk?"

"Yes, Just talk."

"Then talk." Ashton said as he finished wiping up the mess of coffee on the counter, He placed his cup in position again and hit the buttons a second time, He turned around and leaned against the counter.

"Well… My father he… He told you to keep me safe, Right?"

"This again? Yeah, He did. If my memory still works after being shot, His exact words were to do him a favor and keep you safe, I've done just that." Ashton said with a shrug.

Weiss looked down. "I suppose you have done that."

"Yeah, It was… A promise to a dying man I suppose…"

Weiss looked up. "He was dying?" She sounded concerned.

"No no no, He was physically fine… But he resigned to his fate, He opted to stay where he was. I'd assume he…"

"Right…" She said.

"But I keep my promises. All of them." Ashton said. "It's one of the few things I guess I can say are a good quality about myself."

Weiss laughed a bit. "Yeah, You don't seem to have many of those."

"Well, Gee. Thank you." Ashton said sarcastically. "That's usually the part where you're supposed to go, 'Oh no, Ash. You have many good qualities.'. But fine, Be that way."

Weiss laughed a bit again. "Thank you Ashton… You've cheered me up a bit."

"Good to know." Ashton said as he took his finished coffee out of the machine and took a sip, The two of them walked over to a table and sat down. "So what was he like?"

"Hmm?" Weiss said as she looked up, She had been looking down at the UNSC design in the table.

"Your father… What was he like before… You know."

"Well… He cared, I knew that for sure. But his work was very stressful. The family company of course was a prime target for the White Fang. As time went on things would get gradually worse… Growing up with that was a bit difficult."

"Mmmm." Ashton said as he took a sip of his coffee. "Understandable. Stressed parents aren't the best ones."

"What about your father?"

"I already told you, Didn't I? The second time back in the forest. He died before I was born. I never knew him. Period, My mother raised me alone, That was that, And even then she died not too long after I enlisted."

"I'm so sorry... " Weiss said as she looked back down. "I can't imagine what it must feel like to know you're alone in the world…"

"Good, You shouldn't have to." Ashton paused. "You still have family out there, Weiss. I remember hearing something back when we were on the surface. Your father mentioned you had a sister and that she had been sent to Vacuo… We could get her." Weiss looked back up.

"You're sure we could?"

"Yes, One hundred percent. General Cato is probably going to go to Vacuo to meet the General Ironwood guy you guys kept telling me about. It definitely wouldn't be out of the question to look for your sister."

"Thank you…" Weiss said, It sounded to Ashton like she was holding back tears. After that they sat in silence for a while, Neither of them said anything. A few announcements came on over the speakers directing people to go where or do what, But the two of them continued to sit in silence.

After a while Ashton began to stand up, But Weiss grabbed his wrist.

"Hmm?"

"No."

"I'm just getting some more coffee…" Ashton said with a sigh, She didn't let go of his wrist. Ashton let out another sigh as he sat back down. She looked up at him.

"It's funny." She said. "It's only been a few days… We introduced ourselves to each other in such a rough way. But over these past few days… You've become one of the nicest people I know." She paused. "I can never thank you enough, For everything you've done for me."

"I haven't done much."

"More than a lot of people actually." She said. "I really can't."

"Well… You don't need to then."

Weiss looked up at him. "You said you keep your promises, Right?"

"Mhmm."

"Then can you make me a promise right now?"

"Depends what I have to promise, But sure?"

"Can you promise me tha-" Weiss was cut off as two Masters at Arms entered the mess deck and started making their way over to where the two of them were sitting.

"Looks like you'll have to belay that request." Ashton said as he stood up again. "Guess it's my time to… Well, You know…"

"Right... " She said.

"Hey, Just ask me whatever it is after I wake up." Ashton said as he patted her on the head, She looked up at him as if to say 'Really?'. "That was… Awkward. I won't do it again." He said matter of factly as the Masters at Arms finally stopped in front of him.

"Corporal Dommer, Lieutenant Murray has requested your presence."

"Lead the way, Gentlemen." Ashton said to them, He turned to Weiss before following them. "Goodbye for now, Weiss."

**Lieutenant Alice Murray, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

Lieutenant Murray looked over the two operating tables the auto-surgeon would be using. Everything appeared to be in order, Of course General Cato still hadn't approved operating on that boy… But she still wasn't going to let that stop her. She stopped at the one prepared for Corporal Dommer, Not only was he going to be receiving her injections and slight augmentations, But he was going to receive a fully functional prosthetic eye to have his vision restored. She went over the numbers just to make sure the new eye would fit, Satisfied with her data she stepped up into a control booth of sorts.

"All or nothing now…" She commented to herself, She inserted the two vials containing the nanomachines into a receiver that would allow them to go in with the injections. A short time later, Corporal Dommer walked into the operating room, The boy followed shortly after. Lieutenant Murray watched as Dommer seemed to tease the boy. The boy appeared to have received a haircut down to military length.

Lieutenant Murray flipped a switch to listen to their conversation.

"Why the hell did you let Garcia touch your hair?"

"He said… It was part of the process."

"He's a filthy liar. Your hair was a bit long, But was fine."

"Oh…"

"Now you just look like a damn fool."

"Well, Gee, Thanks, Ash." Jaune said as he punched Ashton's shoulder, Jaune shook his hand with a bit of pain.

"Gentlemen." Lieutenant Murray finally interjected over a speaker. "Welcome, To the future."

"Ooooooh." Ashton said in a bit of a mocking tone.

"The operation procedure the both of you are about to undergo will revolutionize not only the ODST's, But humanity itself."

"Lieutenant, We been through this yesterday, We're just awaiting orders."

"I'll cut to my point then." She sighed. "Both of you strip down to your skivvies and lay down in your designated area."

"Yes, Ma'am." Jaune said, The basic instruction he had received payed off a bit, At least he had learned to refer to officers as Sir or Ma'am.

"For your pleasure, Mistress." Ashton muttered.

"I heard that, Corporal." Lieutenant Murray said over the speaker as Ashton peeled off his BDU, Jaune also stripped off most of his clothes. "Good, Both of you go lay down, Press the confirm key and your operations begin, The auto-surgeon will take care of everything, Just try not to think about the initial injection."

"That makes me want to think about it more…" Jaune said nervously as he lay down on the operating table.

"You'll be fine." Ashton said. "You'll be knocked out before you know it and won't feel a thing." Ashton took the bandage off from over his eye and tossed it aside.

"Whenever you're ready, Gentlemen."

Ashton and Jaune pressed the confirm button on the pads next to them and lay back. Ashton gave Jaune a thumbs up as they were locked into place.

"Please look straight ahead." A mechanical voice said, Both of them complied.

Robotic appendages moved around the room positioning themselves. After the auto-surgeon finished it's preparation and had positioned all the limbs, It began closing the distance. Multiple needles were pointed at Ashton and Jaune's heads, Arms, Legs, Even a few at their torsos. They moved forward at a painstakingly slow pace to Jaune. The needles closed to within a few millimeters of the two young men.

"Ashton…" Jaune said.

"Yeah."

"Remember how you told me to be sure this is what I wanted?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm starting to have some regrets."

"Too late now, Deal with it."

"I know bu-AGH!" Jaune cried out as the needles penetrated into his skin, He could feel them begin to inject him with their contents. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Ashton was in pain too. Jaune tried to say something but then passed out. Ashton did the same shortly after.

Lieutenant Murray watched as the auto-surgeon continued it's procedure, The robotic limbs moved around the room again to prepare for the next round of injections. She put her hands together and contemplated what she had just done, She let a smile cross her face as she looked over to a monitor with their vital signs on it, They were still alive as she had expected. She could tell that this would definitely work out in her favor.

**Three hours later**

**Ruby Rose, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"So what do you think is happening to them right now?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know, Ruby. Maybe they're getting surgery?" Weiss said.

"Well I knew that." She said defensively. "But I mean… Do you think they're almost finished?"

"They should be." Ren said as Nora hung one of the blankets from one of the bunks up like a tent. "It's been almost three and a half hours."

"They'll be done when they're done, That Garcia guy said he would come and get us first thing he got word of them being done." Pyrrha said with a sigh.

"I heard some soldiers talking about where they were going to launch their next assault." Yang paused for dramatic effect. "From the way they described the place it sounds like Atlas."

"Well, Let them do their operations then." Blake said.

"Just sharing." Yang said as she lightly punched Blake.

"Well, I'm just saying, It should be none of our business what these people are do-"

Blake was cut off as Garcia burst through the door. "Hey guys." All of the teens seemed to crowd around him at once.

"They're done!?" Ruby asked excitedly, Garcia back himself against the wall to stop them from surrounding him.

"They've been done." Garcia said. All of them shot him glares.

"You said you'd come get as as soon as they were do-" Yang started to say but Garcia cut her off.

"I did you guys one better, They're awake." He said with a grin on his face. "Come on." Garcia took off out of the room at a slow jog, They all followed close behind. They winded through the corridors of the ship until they ended up in the same area Ashton was in when he woke up originally. They stepped into what was a much larger room, But similar to the one Yang, Ruby, Weiss, and Jaune found Ashton in earlier.

"Oh I feel like crap." Jaune said to Ashton.

"Oh yeah, We're gonna feel like crap. But you still look like crap." Ashton commented on Jaune's hair.

"Ash, Come on, Stop." Jaune said to him. "Oh, Hey guys." Jaune said, The two of them had finally noticed the small crowd that had entered the room.

"Sup?" Ashton asked.

"YOU'RE AWAKE... AGAIN!" Ruby yelled as she wrapped her arms around Ashton's neck.

"Jaune, Are you alright?" Pyrrha asked as she and the rest of team JNPR came over to where he was laying.

"Yeah, I feel like crap… Yet better than ever before in my life at the same time." He said.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're oka- Oh my… Jaune… Your eyes."

"Huh?" Jaune asked. "What's wrong with my eyes?"

"Let me see." Ren said, He turned Jaune's head in his direction. "Oh my…"

"What's wrong with my eyes?" Jaune repeated.

"Well, Jaune." Pyrrha said.

"It's not bad… But."

"Your eyes changed color!" Nora exclaimed as she finally got to look at Jaune.

"Huh?"

"They're not blue anymore, Jaune… Your eye color changed to yellow."

"No way…" Yang said. "Ashton look here." Ashton turned and faced Yang. "Whoa…"

"Let me see." Weiss pushed in next to her. "Oh my…"

"Well?"

"They're definitely not brown anymore." Weiss said.

"Well?" He repeated.

"Grey." Ruby said. "They've changed to grey."

"Wait a sec…" Yang said. "You have two eyes again!?"

"Yeah." Ashton chuckled. "You thought I was kidding when I said I'd probably get a prosthetic?"

"Well, No." Ruby said. "But we didn't think so soon."

"Well, I got it. So that's that. Oh, But Ruby, Check this out." Ashton said as he made his eyes look in completely opposite directions.

"Ewwwww, Stop that!" Ruby screamed as she jumped back causing Ashton to chuckle.

"If you'll all excuse me." A female voice came from the doorway, It was Lieutenant Murray, She pushed her way through the small crowd to Ashton and Jaune. "Interesting…" She mused as she looked them over. "I'd say it worked…"

"Excuse me." Pyrrha said. "Could you tell us why their eyes change color?"

Lieutenant Murray examined Jaune's new eye color. "Strange… It's a reaction to a vision enhancing drug I gave them, Not everyone's eyes change color. But it happens in some people who receive augmentations like this. A lot of the times it ends up changing the eyes blue… or green." She looked at Ashton's eyes. "I've seen this grey before, But only on rare occasions. As for his yellow eyes… That is completely new to me, I'll take a look into it later."

"Will it affect my vision?" Jaune asked.

"No, Your vision is actually perfect as of right now. You should also be able to see exceptionally well in the dark." Lieutenant Murray dismissed his worry. "Can you two walk yet?"

"Got the feeling back in my legs thirty minutes ago, Lieutenant." Ashton said.

"Well then, Congratulations, Private First Class Arc." Lieutenant Murray said as she walked over to Jaune and dropped two rank pins in his hand. "Welcome to the UNSC Marine Corps."

"Good going, Kid." Ashton said to Jaune.

"Congratulations to you too, Sergeant." Lieutenant Murray said as she stopped next to Ashton, She dropped his new rank pins into his hand. Ashton let an evil grin cross his face as he looked over at Garcia.

"Hey… Hey, Garcia."

"Y-yes, Sergeant?" Garcia asked, He had not been expecting Ashton to get a promotion.

"What was that about not being able to order you to go fuck yourself?"

"I don't recall, Sergeant."

"Well, Go fuck yourself."

"Fuck you."

"Ah ah ah, Fuck you, I'm the Sergeant here."

"Stop it you two! You're like overgrown children!" Weiss yelled.

Lieutenant Murray rolled her eyes. "Since you two can walk, Please follow me."

Ashton and Jaune got out of the medical beds, They hadn't realised it before, But they had been changed into BDUs. Ashton pinned his new rank tabs to his collar and helped Jaune with his.

"Okay Jaune, Quick protip before we leave this room. You're wearing the uniform now." Ashton said as he smoothed out Jaune's blouse.

"Yeah?"

"Notice our rank things are black, Right?"

"Mhmm."

"If you see anyone with shiny metallic rank, Salute them."

"Why?"

"They're probably an officer, And officers get really pissy when you don't salute." Ashton said as he quickly showed Jaune a proper salute. "There, All set. Let's go."

"Sorry guys, I guess there's still some business to take care of." Jaune said to his team members.

"Take your time Jaune, This was your decision." Pyrrha said.

"That discussion is gonna have to wait a little longer." Ashton said as he patted Weiss on the shoulder. "Just hold out." He pushed past everyone and got out into the hall with Lieutenant Murray, Jaune followed close behind.

"The nanomachines I inserted into your bodies along with the augmentations are the only reason either of your are moving right now." Lieutenant Murray said as they walked. "Normally you wouldn't be moving for a few days… Time we didn't have."

"That's interesting and all… But can I know what exactly you did to us?" Jaune asked.

"Well…" Lieutenant Murray paused to think while they walked. "You haven't received a full augmentation package, You'd just be Spartans then… And that wasn't the point of these tests. Besides enhancing your vision, I've also changed your bodies so that if you start to bleed your wound will clot much faster, Your physical strength has been made stronger, But not by much, You also use energy from food much more effectively… And I improved your oxygen retention and intake, You could breath in some non oxygen environments for around… Fifteen maybe twenty minutes."

"Oh wow…" Jaune said.

"You're still not getting things like, Carbide Ceramic Ossification, or Muscular Enhancement Lining."

"What would those do?" Jaune asked.

"Your bones would become virtually unbreakable, Your muscles would also be able to operate much faster. Ah, Here we are." Lieutenant Murray said as she stopped in front of a door. "Behind this door, Lies your final piece to unlocking the future."

"What do you mean, Lieutenant?" Ashton asked.

"Open it and find out, Sergeant… Open it and find out."

Ashton pressed the button and the door slid open with a hiss.

"Whoa." Jaune said as they entered the small room.

**General Damien Cato, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"So this is where I would be able to find this man?" General Cato asked Professor Ozpin.

"Yes, This area is known as Vacuo. General Ironwood and the remainders of the Atlesian military have retreated there."

"Alright…" General Cato said. "And this area is?"

"Atlas."

"Atlas, Alright… Because we seem to be running into a lot of interference in that area."

"Hmm?" Professor Ozpin asked.

"Complete communications blackout. It's not uncommon with the Covenant, But it's never good either."

"I see." Professor Ozpin said as he looked at the map. "Perhaps you should have your men take care of that before going to Vacuo then?"

"I planned on it, As soon as we take care of this problem in Atlas, I will personally head to Vacuo to meet this General Ironwood." General Cato paused to take a puff from his cigar. "Perhaps combining our forces and knowledge would be for the best…"

"I'd hope so." Professor Ozpin said.

General Cato held up a bottle of whiskey, But Professor Ozpin didn't want any.

"So that settles it then?"

"I'd say so." Professor Ozpin said as he stood up. "A pleasure speaking with you General, Now if you'll excuse me I'll get back to checking on my stude-" Professor Ozpin was cut off as a crewman came running into the room.

"General Cato, Sir!"

"What is it, Son? What's wrong?"

"It's Lieutenant Murray, Sir."

"What did she do now?"

"She did IT, Sir!"

"Did what? What is IT?"

"She performed her operation, Sir!"

"And?"

"With the boy, Sir!"

General Cato let a look of disgust cross his face. "Of course she did." He hit a button on his desk. "Captain DuBois, Report to my office immediately."

"On my way, Sir." Captain DuBois's voice crackled through the communications device.

"She's really done it now…" General Cato muttered as he snuffed out his cigar. "Oh has she really don it…"

**A/N: Whoa, Two chapters in one month? Whaaat? I know right, I was just on fire, Not like any real… Action happened in this chapter, But there have to be some calm times, Right? Also, The "augmentations" have happened! Don't know if I should really be calling them augmentations because I mean… Well, We'll go more into depth on it next chapter... Well, I promise more action next chapter, Also, Next chapter will explain Lieutenant Murray's project in more depth, Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter. Follow it, Favorite it, Leave a review, Do whatever you want, See you all next time.**


	8. Act 1, Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Halo they are respectively owned by Rooster Teeth and 343 Industries**

(Text / Speech)

**(Flashbacks / Author Notes / Video Recordings)**

_(Thoughts)_

**Chapter 8: Same Shit, Different Universe**

**Sergeant Ashton Dommer, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"I don't get it." Ashton said as he looked down at the table in the center of the room. "This is just ODST armor."

"It would appear so, Sergeant." Lieutenant Murray paused. "But in fact, What you have here are the first two models of new second generation ODST armor."

"And that's supposed to mean…" Ashton said.

"Well for starters, Extremely, And I stress EXTREMELY, Experimental lightweight full body shield technology."

"No shit?" Ashton said as he ran his hand over one of the suits. "What do you mean by lightweight?"

"Well, Sergeant, You're not able to wear MJOLNIR, Like I said, The point of this process is not to make you into Spartans, But second generation ODSTs. Special ultra lightweight equipment was made, Such as the power source for the light shielding. But it's… Experimental."

"Meaning?" Jaune asked.

"It's never been properly field tested, Only used in a laboratory environment. I can already assure you the shielding is not very strong, It can absorb maybe one… two hits if lucky before the shielding fails, Don't treat it like you're invincible, Try to avoid getting shot as much as you would without it." Lieutenant Murray said as she walked over to the other suit.

"Anything else?" Ashton asked.

"Of course, VISR 5.0, The latest upgrade from VISR 4.0 that SPARTAN-IV's are equipped with, They'll get this tech soon, But a little cross branch testing never hurt anyone…"

"VISR?" Jaune questioned.

"It stands for Visual Intelligence System, Reconnaissance." Ashton said. "All ODST suits have it, So do the SPARTAN-IV's, It makes sense these second generation ODST suits would have the system too."

"Other than that there's not much you'd be interested to know, Mainly under the hood work." Lieutenant Murray said. "An improvement over what you had, But far far from being as good as MJOLNIR."

"Wow…" Jaune said as he touched the second suit. "We really get to use these?"

"It's not that special Jaune." Ashton said. "I mean, She just said, Yeah it's an improvement, But not a big one."

"Moving on." Lieutenant Murray said as she walked away from the armor, She approached a locker at the back of the room. "These will now be issued to you, These will also be field tested for the first time by you." Lieutenant Murray said as she opened the locker, Inside was a gun rack with a multitude of small arms, She pulled out what appeared to be an M6S and handed it to Ashton, Upon further inspection he found it was not an M6S.

"What the hell kinda variant is this, Lieutenant?" Ashton asked as he turned the pistol over in his hands.

"New prototype, Designed for ODST GEN 2, Data collected from the deployment of M6 Machine Pistols a few years back proved they were ineffective, Improvements have been made, As of right now this variant is known as the M6X. Fully automatic, Completely customizable as well." Lieutenant Murray said as she took the pistol out of his hand, Lieutenant Murray, To prove her point, Showed unlike the M6S the M6X did not have an integrated suppressor by removing it from the end of the barrel.

"This is an idea I can get behind…" Ashton said as he reattached the suppressor, Lieutenant Murray handed the other M6X to Jaune who was fascinated with the weapon.

"Here we have something you'll enjoy, Sergeant." Lieutenant Murray said as she took out another weapon. " The XM395 Designated Marksman Rifle. Another piece of experimental weaponry to go along with the ODST GEN 2 program. Again, Customizable to fit mission specifications, Suppressor compatible."

Ashton let out a whistle as he was handed the rifle. "I like it all right."

"I get a rifle too, Right?" Jaune asked.

"Of course, Here you are." Jaune was handed an MA5K by Lieutenant Murray.

"This is?"

"The MA5K, Carbine version of the standard MA5, Shorter, Lightweight, Easier to maneuver with. Not new or specifically made for this program, But tried and tested by SOF units, So you know it'll get the job done."

"Alright." Jaune said as he looked over the new weapon in his hands. "It feels good."

"Glad to hear." Lieutenant Murray said. "The customization kits for the pistols and the rifle are in the locker." Two Marines appeared in the doorway.

"Ma'am." One of the Marines said.

"Excuse me, Gentlemen." Lieutenant Murray said as she went to follow the two Marines out into the hall. "I have… Business to attend to right now. Do try on the armor, It should come on just as easily as a regular ODST battle uniform."

**Weiss Schnee, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"Where are we going?" Weiss asked, She was trailing behind the others with Blake, Both of whom were entirely against what was currently going on.

"I dunno." Ruby responded. "But I mean, They can't have gone far." 

"So we're supposed to now blindly wander through a spaceship… Wonderful."

"She's right." Blake said. "We have no idea where to go, And I don't think they'll appreciate the fact that we're doing this either."

"Oh we'll be fine." Yang said. "I mean, How much harm could the four of us cause?"

Two Marines walked past the four of them giving them strange looks, Once they were past one of the Marines pointed at Yang, Gestured something to the other one and they both started laughing hysterically to each other as they rounded the corner. "Okay, It's not like we'll be in that much trouble." She added.

"Right." Weiss said sarcastically. "None at all."

"Excuse me, But, Where the hell do you all think you're going?" Ruby, Leading the group, Suddenly stopped as she rounded a corner, Only to be met with the towering presence of a Marine officer.

"Uhhhh...Uhhhh... . We're looking for our friend, You see-"

"Friend? Listen little girl, Any 'friends' you have onboard this ship would be in the holding area with the rest of the people from your world…" The officer growled. "Now, I don't know how the hell you got out, But the four of you are gonna turn your asses around right now and head back." He said as he rested his hand on his pistol.

"Are you… threatening us?" Yang asked.

"Only if I have to." The man responded.

"Captain Dubois!" A Marine yelled as he ran up, He threw up a quick salute to the man before speaking again. "We took the Lieutenant into custody as ordered."

"Good." The man said as he turn to the Marine, Taking his hand off of his weapon. "Find out where she put the two of them for me, Aye?"

"In the room where we found her, Sir. I'll gather up another team and we'll keep watch on them." The Marine said as he threw up a quick salute and ran off.

"Now, As you girls can see, We here aboard the UNSC Cerberus are quite busy, So why don't you do as I asked and run on back to where you came from."

"Yessir!" Yang said in a mocking tone, The group of girls turned around and started making their way down the hall, Ruby glanced over her back, The man was still watching them.

"Go right." Ruby whispered, The group turned around a corner to the right and started taking off at a slow jogging pace.

"What was that guys deal?" Yang said with a big grin on her face.

"My guess is he was doing his job." Blake said as she lightly hit Yang in the side.

"She has a point though." Ruby said. "He seemed awfully on edge."

"Can you blame them? Put yourself in their shoes for a second, They're battling aliens that they know are hell bent on their destruction, In another world, And have to deal with that worlds inhabitants as well."

"Yeah, But it sounded like when that other guy showed up they were talking about Ashton and Jaune."

"That'd be my guess too." Yang said with a nod.

"He made it sound like they did something bad though." Weiss said. "It didn't seem like they could have."

"He also said they took the Lieutenant into custody, I assume he meant that woman." Blake said as she thought about it. "And they said they were in the room where they found her, So they have to be somewhere on this level of the ship."

"Well let's get searching then." Ruby said as they made another turn.

"Where do we even begin?" Weiss asked.

"It shouldn't be hard I mean Jaune is Jaune, And Ashton is… Well he's Ashton, It's pretty hard to miss him."

"Yeah… It is." Weiss agreed.

The team made their way through the halls of the Cerberus, Avoiding strange looks from Marines and Naval Crewmen as they did so. Even armed with the knowledge to stay on this level of the ship they were still getting lost.

"We've passed this room three times now." Blake commented as they passed a door with a marking on it that was starting to become familiar.

"I know…" Ruby said as she made a left instead of a right turn this time.

"This ship sure is big…" Yang said.

"Face it, We're not going to find either of them." Weiss said as they were suddenly met with the sound of yelling coming from down the hall.

"ALRIGHT SHITFACE, I WARNED YOU NOT TO TOUCH MY FRIEND!" Ashton's voice could be heard, His location was quickly confirmed as a Marine came flying out of a room down the hall and slammed into the opposing wall.

"Never sure lasts a short while, Huh?" Yang said as she punched Weiss on the shoulder.

"Now!" Ashton was speaking again. "If you boys want to talk this out like adults, That'd be great… Of course we can always go another round."

Ruby poked her head into the room to see what was going on, Two more Marines were on the floor, Another three had weapons pointed at Ashton but she couldn't see Jaune.

"Just come quietly." One Marine said.

"Ash… I don't think this is a good idea." Jaune's voice came from somewhere in the room.

"Oh I'll come quiet… When you give me a goddamn reason other than walking into the room and yelling for me to get on the ground, Asshole."

"Sergeant, Now is not the time for this." The Marine said. "Just come with us."

"Like I said, Gimme a damn reason."

"General Cato needs to see you… Both of you."

"Whoa, What's going on?" Ruby asked as she stepped into the doorway. One of the Marines spun around and pointed his weapon at her, Causing Ruby to take a step back.

"Oi, Asshole, She's just a teenage girl, She's harmless, Focus on me." Ashton said, Getting the Marines attention by giving him a good kick to the back of the leg.

"Ashton! What's going on!?" Ruby asked, She was concerned as the Marine reeled around and pointed his weapon at Ashton.

"Nothing', These guys are just being a little rough is all." He said as he turned his attention back to the Marine. "Now, You can ask nicely and MAYBE I'll think about going with you, Or you can tell General Cato he can drag his ass down here himself and come see me."

The Marine sighed as he lowered his weapon "Sergeant, PLEASE will you and PFC Arc come with us, General Cato as requested your presence IMMEDIATELY."

"See?" Ashton said in a mocking tone. "Was that so hard?" The Marine let out a frustrated grunt before motioning towards the door. "Come on Jaune, Safe to come out." Ashton said, Jaune peeked out from behind the locker with the weapons in it.

"Really?" Jaune asked.

"Nah, They're gonna execute us." Ruby looked horrified when Ashton said this, Jaune let out an audible gulp. "I'm fucking with you, Let's go."

The Marines that were not incapacitated stepped out into the hall, One gave the girls a dirty look before returning his attention to his work. One of the Marines motioned for Ashton and Jaune to step out into the hall with his gun. Jaune came out first he clearly looked nervous as he had no idea as to what was going on, He had never worn ODST armor before, Let alone this new ODST GEN 2 version so his movements were a bit awkward. Ashton followed out after him soon after, He was walking with much more confidence than Jaune, But he was surprised to find all of team RWBY out in the hall.

"The hell are you guys doing here?" He asked.

"Looking for you!" Yang said.

"Why?" He asked puzzled.

"Well… You guys did kind of just wake up and were then taken away, We haven't gotten to speak with you at all really." Blake said.

Ashton looked at the Marine who gave him a look as if to say 'Hurry up'. "Look." Ashton said. "I realise you guys probably have some questions, But now really ain't the best time. When I have the time, Which will be soon, I'll talk to you." Ashton paused and looked down at Weiss. "All of you." He said with a nod.

"Let's go, Sergeant." One of the Marines said impatiently, Ashton shot him a dirty look and the Marine took a step back.

"Like I said, I'll catch ya later." Ashton said before turning and following.

"Yeah, See you later." Jaune said with a nervous wave.

The leader of the group of Marines said something into one Marines ear and he stayed behind as team RWBY watched the other Marines escort Ashton and Jaune around the corner. The Marine came over to them.

"Excuse me, But I'm going to need to ask the four of you to come with me." The young Marine said.

"Huh?" Ruby asked.

"My squad leader says I need to escort the four of you back to the central holding area. Please, I don't want any trouble, I'm just doing my job." He said.

Team RWBY quickly formed a huddle, Making the young Marine uncomfortable.

"What should we do?" Ruby asked.

"We could take him…" Yang said.

"Look at him though." Blake said. "He's only a kid, He can't be more than 18 years old."

"What are we then, Blake?" Yang said.

"He IS just doing his job." Weiss said. "I say we just let him take us to wherever this central holding area is."

"I suppose…" Yang muttered as they broke the huddle.

"Lead the way!" Ruby said the to the Marine who nearly dropped his rifle when she yelled. The Marine lead them through the halls in an awkward silence as Crewmen and other Marines scurried about taking care of their daily tasks.

**Five minutes later**

**Ruby Rose, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"Lance Corporal Masterson, Reporting with four civilians, Sir." The Marine said to the officer at the door.

"Good work, Marine." The officer said without looking up from the book he was reading, He casually reached behind him and hit a button to open the door. "I'll take it from here, Dismissed."

"Yes, Sir." The Marine gave a salute before giving the girls a wave and jogging off.

"Nice kid…" The officer chuckled to himself, He appeared to know the Marine. "Anyway, You ladies just step inside, Please. Trying to work on reuniting families and things like that." He said with a smile.

"Thank you." Weiss said before she walked through the door, Please she appeared to find someone with actual manners.

"Thanks." Ruby said.

"Er yeah, Thanks." Yang said as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Thank you." Blake said as she rolled her eyes at Yang's response and pushed her through the door.

The four of them stepped into the room, It was more like a vehicle bay though… Just with the vehicles removed. People from Remnant were everywhere inside, But UNSC personnel were prevalent, They saw people wearing uniforms they hadn't seen before. Standing on each side of the doorway was a man in a khaki shirt, bright blue pants with a red stripe on it, and a white hat. Walking around the room were men and women in khaki shirts and either khaki pants or dark blue pants. They had out devices of some kind and seemed to be taking down information from people they talked to.

"He said they were trying to reunite families… Do you think Dad is here?" Ruby asked Yang.

"I don't know, Sis… Maybe… It would be nice to know he's safe and all… If he's here, He'll find us." Yang said to her sister.

The members of team RWBY walked around the room for a while, Weaving in and out of the crowds, Before a familiar voice called out to them

"Hey guys!" It was Sun. "Over here!" He was sitting on the floor against a wall with Neptune.

"Hey!" Neptune called out after Sun shook him awake. The team made their way over to the two guys and sat down.

"How you guys been since we saw you earlier?" Sun asked, He flicked his tail through the air.

"Fine." Ruby said.

"Nothing too exciting." Blake said.

"Good to hear." Neptune said. "Say… Where are the others? Jaune and his friends?"

"Dunno. Haven't seen 'em since we ran off." Yang said.

"Ran off?" Sun questioned.

"Yeah, We went looking for Jaune and Ashton for a while." Weiss said.

"Who's Ashton?" Neptune asked.

"Remember that guy from this morning? The one who walked in with the gun? That's Ashton." Yang said.

"You guys know that guy?" Sun asked. "When he walked in he looked like he was ready to kill someone, Then he gave Jaune hell."

"How'd ya meet him?" Neptune asked as he slid closer to Weiss.

"Well…" Ruby began. "It all started a few days ago."

"We were conducting a night training in the Emerald Forest." Blake said. "Then we saw… Them…"

"What do you mean 'them'?" Sun asked as he leaned closer.

"It all started with flashes in the sky." Yang said.

**Yang Xiao Long, Ten days ago, Emerald Forest, Remnant**

"**Got one!" Yang yelled as she let the Beowolf's body drop to the ground.**

"**Good job." Ruby praised her sister, Night combat had been a bit of a challenge at first, But with Blake's help they were getting better.**

"**We should keep moving." Blake said. "We've still got quite the distance before we get to the checkpoint."**

"**Right, Weiss, Take point." Ruby said.**

"**On it." The girl responded.**

"**The air sure is awfully still tonight…" Yang commented as the group walked through the forest.**

"**It's true." Blake said. "It's not natural."**

"**I really don't care." Weiss said. "This place is just super creepy at night."**

"**Awww, Afraid of the dark?" Yang teased.**

"**Shut up!"**

**Yang was about to continue to tease her teammate when a bright white flash lit up the sky, The light was so bright the four girls had to cover their eyes.**

"**What's going on!?" Weiss yelled.**

"**No idea!" Blake responded.**

**Eventually the light died down and Ruby looked up before yelling out. "Guys! Look! Shooting stars!" Ruby pointed to the objects moving across the sky. "Wooooow." She closed her eyes and made a wish.**

"**Those aren't shooting stars…" Blake said with a nervous look.**

"**She's right, They're headed in this direction!" Yang said as she pushed her sister to the ground, Blake and Weiss dove in opposite directions.**

**The objects came in low over head and crashed in the forest somewhere, This went on for the next minute, More and more of these objects crashing somewhere in the forest until they finally stopped.**

"**What was that!?" Yang yelled.**

"**No idea, Let's go check it out." Ruby said, Suddenly serious.**

"**Are you crazy?" Weiss said. "We have no idea whatever the heck those things just were and you want to go track them down? No, We need to go back and contact Professor Goodwitch right now."**

"**We still need to check them out!" Ruby called as she took off in a jog in the direction the objects crashed.**

"**Sis, Wait up!" Yang called, Suddenly a burst of gunfire sounded from somewhere in the forest.**

"**Gunshots?" Blake asked.**

"**Someone could be in trouble, Let's go!" Yang said as she ran off after her sister, Blake followed, Weiss trailed reluctantly behind.**

**The sounds of gunfire faded in and out, A prolonged burst here, A single panicked shot there. There was definitely a fight going on, A small explosion rocked the ground and team RWBY could see a plume of smoke go up into the air.**

"**Ruby!? Where did you go!?" Yang yelled after her sister who had disappeared into some of the brush. "Oh there you ar- Oh my…"**

**Ruby had collapsed to the floor, She had a hand over her mouth and was in shock, Yang could see why, There was a dead man leaned against the tree in front of them. He was wearing strange clothes with a huge bloody gash across his chest, His intestines hanging out, The strange helmet he was wearing also hid a giant hole in the front, It was very gory.**

"**Looks like a Beowolf did him in…" Blake commented as she looked away.**

"**Who is he though?" Weiss asked as she kneeled in front of the body.**

"**Definitely not a Beacon student, Let's keep moving." Yang said as a scream sounded from nearby, Sounded like someone was in pain, A muffled explosion followed.**

"**Let's go." Blake said as Yang convinced Ruby to get up, The gory scene had shaken the young girl.**

**The group made their way towards where the last explosion had come from, Hoping they'd find answers as to what was going on. What they came across in the next clearing only left them with more questions, Yang quickly covered Ruby's eyes at the new scene. All that was left was the blown apart remains of a Beowolf and what appeared to be a person dressed the same as the dead man at the tree.**

"**Well that is fantastic…" Yang commented.**

"**Maybe we really should head ba-" Blake was cut off by a loud gunshot, It was very close**

**Ruby took off like a racehorse out of the gates in the direction of the shot, She was determined to find someone alive.**

"**Ruby, Wait up!" Yang called after her little sister as she tried to keep up.**

**The three other girls tried to keep up with their leader, But she was so far ahead of them it wasn't even funny, They were getting close to Beacon Cliff now, The source of the shot couldn't be much further… And then they found it.**

**Backed against Beacon Cliff was one of the people they kept finding dead, But this one was alive. There were four dead Beowolves in the clearing around the person but they were clearly wounded, An Ursa was closing in on them. The person seemed to be making one last stand by shooting the Ursa with some kind of handgun.**

**Ruby did not hesitate, She switched Crescent Rose into it's scythe form and swiftly sliced the Ursa in half. Yang ran past and slid next to the wounded person, They had multiple wounds all over their body including a hole in their chest Yang assumed they had gotten from the Ursa. Yang yanked off their helmet to find it was a young man underneath. She felt his wrists for a pulse before his eyes closed.**

"**Weiss! Blake! Help me with this guy!" She yelled, She had the other two girls put pressure on his wounds. "Ruby, Get Goodwitch!" Ruby put her speed to good use and zoomed off to get the teacher, This person was alive and they intended to keep him that way.**

**Ruby Rose, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"So that's how you met this guy then, Huh?" Sun asked.

"Pretty much." Yang said.

"One heck of a way to make an entrance." Neptune said.

"Heh, Yeah." Yang laughed.

"So you just found him wounded in the forest and you guys have been hanging out with him ever since?" Neptune asked.

"Not exactly." Ruby said. "We had to wait for him to wake up first."

"Yes." Weiss said. "He was out for a few days, I can imagine the wounds took a great toll on his body, Not that he would look it now."

"As we were the ones who found him, Professor Ozpin made us keep an eye on him." Blake said.

"Yes, We took turns watching him every day." Weiss said.

"Ruby had the bright idea of bringing one of his weapons and some of his other things with her one day." Yang said.

"And that just so happened to be the day he woke up…" Weiss said as she looked over to Ruby.

"He took the weapon and staged an armed breakout. " Blake said. "He managed to evade Ruby and beat Weiss before I knocked him out." Ruby looked embarrassed with her friends pointing out her blunder.

"I said I was sorry." She repeated her apology.

"Then we spent the next few days telling him how our world works." Weiss shrugged.

"Aaaaaaaand now we're here." Yang said.

"Well, That explains him." Neptune paused. "But what about these other people, Or the aliens?"

"Well… You see… Where he comes from, These aliens kind of… Are trying to eliminate the human race." Ruby said.

"Yes." Weiss continued. "He told us before he somehow got into our world they were staging an invasion of one of the alien's home planets."

"So then these aliens are here because of him, In that case… Why don't we just give them what they want?" Neptune suggested.

"It's not that simple, Kid" Garcia interrupted him, He had seemingly come out of nowhere. "First off, If your cotton candy haired ass thinks we'd give up one of our own, You're out of your goddamn mind. Secondly, They wouldn't stop with him, They wouldn't stop with the rest of us, You can clearly see they're slaughtering your people too, They don't care, As long as it's human, It 'shall be burned until it is but glass' to quote one of their prophets."

"Oh… Hey, Garcia, Right?" Yang asked the young ODST who responded with a nod.

"What's up?" He asked.

"You know where Ash and Jaune are?"

"Speaking with the big boss."

"Big… boss?" Neptune said as he looked up at Garcia.

"General Cato, Commanding Officer of all UNSC forces here, Candy head."

"I'm starting to think I don't like you…"

"That's okay, Sunshine. I didn't like you neither." Garcia said with a yawn. "Anyway, I was sent to collect you ladies up, Sorry you haven't had too long to rest your butts in here."

"Collect us, Why?" Weiss asked.

"Let's just say, Your presences are required in this meeting."

"Why?" She asked again.

"Let's just say… When you put a stressed out Ash… and a stressed out General… In the same room, Along with an ONI Lieutenant who disobeyed her direct orders, Things get pretty heated…"

"Heated… Like?"

"Heated like, Ash took General Cato's service pistol, Shot the LT, and he is now holding the General hostage." Garcia said with a blank look, The girls looked horrified, Unable to comprehend why Ashton would ever do a thing like that. "I'm fucking with you, God, The looks on your faces were priceless!"

"I'm starting to think I don't like you either…" Yang muttered.

"I agree…" Said Weiss.

"Relax, Don't get your panties in a twist, Now let's get a move on, General just asked for your presence at this meeting was all. Basically anyone who has been involved with him these past few days."

Ruby let out a sigh of relief. "Let's go then."

The four girls got up and started saying their goodbyes to their friends. "Catch ya' later!" Yang said as they made their way to the door.

"I'm really not liking that guy…" Neptune said once they were gone.

"Which one?" Sun asked as he continued to whip his tail through the air.

"What do you mean?"

"The one that keeps calling you candy head, Or the other one? The one they talked about."

"The first one, Keeps calling my candy head. He's just mean. The one that walked us and our group around this morning wasn't too nice either. As for the one they talked about, Dunno. Haven't really met the guy, Guess I wouldn't have a reason to dislike him, He seemed scary more than anything from the glimpse we got this morning."

"I could give you a reason."

Neptune looked up. "What?"

"I seen the look in her eye."

"What?"

"Weiss, I know you been going after her. But I saw that look in her eyes, When that guy joked and said their friend had taken the General dude hostage, It was there, That look a girl can give."

"I have no idea what you're talking about…"

**Sergeant Ashton Dommer, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"You're telling me this wasn't authorized…" Ashton said in a grim tone to Lieutenant Murray.

"Not quite… It was for you… Not for him"

"Lieutenant, If I get my ass thrown in the brig because of what you did, Not having ONI to save your ass will be the least of your worries…"

"Was that a threat, Sergeant?"

"If you two are quite done…" General Cato cut in. "We'll begin shortly…" He rapped his fingers on the desk, The General had many tasks to attend to, He hadn't slept in over a day, And now Lieutenant Murray had disobeyed his direct orders for the sake of her beloved science experiments.

Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch were seated across the room from Ashton, Jaune, and Lieutenant Murray. Jaune looked extremely nervous, General Cato had seemed kind when he first met him, And he still was, But he didn't look it. With this new problem revolving around himself not helping his composure either he slid back in his chair slightly.

"General, All due respect, We gonna begin soon?" Ashton asked from his seat.

"Soon, Sergeant. Just waiting o- Ah, There you are." General Cato greeted team RWBY and JNPR as they were escorted inside. "Please take a seat and we can begin."

The teens did as they were told, Except for Nora. She went across the room picked up some mints from where General Cato was sitting and cartwheeled back to her seat. Ren put his head in his hands.

"Now we'll begin." General Cato paused. "So then… Here we are, In the middle of this giant mess, Having to deal with this…"

"Indeed." Professor Ozpin said.

"Lieutenant, I am extremely disappointed in you, Not only have you disobeyed my direct orders, You have put a young mans life at risk."

"Now, Hold on a moment, General." Lieutenant Murray said. "The procedure has a-"

"Zero percent mortality rate, Yes, I am aware. However you've turned the boy into what? Into one of your experiments, Lieutenant… Something he was not meant to be. I also suppose you don't plan on just having the two of them sit around and do nothing while such a perfect opportunity to field test all your new equipment and experiments is right in front of you."

"Well…"

"Quiet." He cut her off. "This boy was a civilian above all, I don't give a damn if you say he volunteered for it, He was a civilian. We don't touch damn civilians, Lieutenant. Not only that, He's a civilian, AND he's of this world, Not ours. That's two boundaries that should never have been crossed. Now you're going to put this young mans life on the line for what? You'll give me the excuse of for victory in this battle, But you couldn't give a damn about that. I've seen your kind before, You wouldn't care if we lost and all died, So long as you got to see the results of what you've done. Well, What you've done, Lieutenant, Is single handedly caused the deaths of not a staggering amount of UNSC personnel, But people of this world as well."

Professor Ozpin crossed his arms after taking a sip of the coffee provided to him, The members of team RWBY and JNPR squirmed uncomfortably in their seats because of the current situation.

"General, Are you trying to pin the bla-"

"I am not pinning anything on you, Lieutenant. Simply speaking the truth to your face. People are dead because of you, For what? Not for the good of humanity. Not for the war effort. For your sick scientific needs. I'm going to say this in the nicest way possible, But if we had just left Sergeant Dommer after his disappearance, Instead of mounting your goddamn crazy rescue operation because he was just so important to your cause, Lieutenant. None of the people who died to get us here would have died, The Covenant would not be here, Killing these people, WE would not be here, As we never were meant to be here."

"If I could speak, General?"

"But of course!" He exclaimed. "Try to manipulate my view of the situation, Try to swing my opinion again, Lieutenant."

Lieutenant Murray stood up and walked over to team RWBY and JNPR. "Ready, Sir?" She asked General Cato before turning back to the teens. "Your friend, Is he any different from before he underwent his procedure, At all?"

"Well, His eyes did change color." Pyrrha said.

"But, Personality wise, Mentally, He's still the same person you knew, Yes?"

"Yes." All of the teens responded.

"See, General? He's the same person they knew before, Just slightly taller, With a different eye color. Of course, You don't care about that though. But seeing as he is the same person, Who he was before should not matter since he's still the same in the mental department. No, What should matter is combat effectiveness, Survivability, Kill rates. So then, General, By augmenting someone from this world, People who from my limited study of them so far, Have shown special powers, Powers that if combined with these augmentations could prove to make them the ultimate warriors. So then I have never been presented with a more opportune time to ask for permission to deploy both of them, Think about it… A regular human, Sergeant Dommer, and a person from this other world, A person with these special abilities, PFC Arc, Tested in the field side by side they could show that I was not wrong to augment the boy if he proves to be more effective."

"Lieutenant…"

"Just give it a chance, General. I doubt we don't have any major ground operations coming up,"

General Cato looked to Professor Ozpin before answering the Lieutenant. "We do… An assault against an area in this world known as Atlas. Seems the Covenant has amassed a large force there, There also appears to be a communications jam in place there, Can't send signals not only into the area, But through it. The jam covers such a wide area we can only expect the worst in terms of forces defending it."

"Then we can deploy the new ODST GEN 2's for a pre-landing reconnaissance operation. Send them in first with elements of First Recon, Then they go in and soften up the enemy for the main assault."

"Lieutenant…" General Cato sighed. "Fine… I'll play your games, One last damn time. If you can prove to me this was worth it, What do you think in all of this, Headmaster?" General Cato said as he turned towards Ozpin.

"Mr Arc, Do you feel okay?" Ozpin asked Jaune.

"I-I'm fine." Jaune said as he sat upright. "I really do feel great."

"I already know you willingly went along with this." Ozpin paused. "But are you willing to take it further? Are you willing to go on this… Reconnaissance operation as she called it?"

"Yes." Jaune said confidently. "Yes, I am. If it would prove that me doing this wasn't a mistake, And that her doing this to me wasn't wrong, While also fighting back against these aliens along the way… Then yes."

"That settles it then." Professor Ozpin said, He seemed a bit amused. "He's yours."

General Cato nodded before looking to Ashton and Jaune. "There you have it then, Gentlemen. You have the next few hours to yourselves, But expect to be briefed for this operation soon."

"Yes, Sir." Ashton and Jaune said in unison.

General Cato looked to team RWBY and JNPR. "They're all yours." He said with a nod to the teens, He motioned with his hands towards Ashton and Jaune. He stood up and an orderly helped him collect up some papers, Before leaving the room with Ozpin and Goodwitch close behind he turned and said to Lieutenant Murray. "This is not the end of this, Lieutenant."

"Of course it isn't…" She muttered as she collected up her things. "You two rest up, Be prepared for this deployment." She said to Ashton and Jaune before heading for the door, She stopped in the doorway for a moment and looked at the group of teens who had now swarmed her two newest experiments and let a scowl cross her face.

"No more running off?" Yang asked as she leaned on the desk.

"Not for a while." Ashton yawned.

"Good." Yang said she teasingly spun his chair around.

"How're you holding up?" Ren asked his team leader.

"Fine… Tired is all." Jaune said.

"Ooooh, It's so… Metal." Nora said as she tapped Jaune's new armor.

"How heavy is it?" Ren asked, Pyrrha had remained more towards the rear of the group.

"The armor? Not really that heavy, Then again, That lady said something about enhancing our strength slightly, So I wouldn't really know." Jaune shrugged.

"Ashton." Ruby said.

"Hmm?" He responded as he turned towards the young girl.

"Are you two really going to be sent back down there?"

"Yep." He sighed as he rubbed his eyes. "Would seem so. Right down to that Atlas place."

"Well… Then I want to go too!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Me aswell." Said Blake.

"I'm going too." Weiss said.

"Well, If everyone else is going, I'm coming along." Yang said.

"No, None of you are coming." He shot them down as he stood up. "You're all done putting your lives at risk."

"That's not fair!" Ruby protested. "We should be able to help, All of us are capable at fighting! You're only putting yourselves at a bigger disadvantage if we can't help!"

"Yeah!" Yang said as she stood next to her sister.

"Hey!" Ashton said annoyed. "We've gone over this around fifty times now, It's not up to me, But even if it was, I'd feel terrible if something bad were to happen because I dragged any of you out into the field. Look… I really don't want to keep talking about this, Can we just enjoy these next few hours in peace?"

"Yes, Let's." Weiss said as she walked past him and grabbed his arm, Starting to drag him away.

"We've been over this…" Ashton said flatly. "I'm not a child…"

"You're not exactly an old man, Ash." Yang said.

"I sure as hell feel like one."

"But still, You're not old."

"But still, I ain't a kid. But whatever, Let's just go." He said as he stepped out through the door. "I know a place we can go."

The others filed out and followed him down the hall, Chatting amongst themselves as they walked. Ashton led them around a corner and through a bulkhead. They had been walking for about three minutes when Ashton felt a tug on his arm, He looked down to see Weiss.

"What's up?" He asked as he looked forward again.

"Well… You know."

"I know." He said as he yawned. "I know. Soon, I know I keep making you wait, But soon."

"Well, It's not just that from earlier, There are other things I want to talk about."

"Like?" He asked as they rounded another corner, Ruby started laughing at something Yang said.

"Well, You said you were going to Atlas."

"Yeah?"

"I really do want to come then."

"Oh not this again…"

"Wait, Listen to me!" She said annoyed. "Look, Ashton. I had… Have friends and family there." She said correcting herself, Not assuming the worst. "I have to see if they're okay, Plus, I spent a lot of my time there, I know the area extremely well and could help you navigate."

"Trust me, Weiss…" He paused. "The place isn't gonna look the same, Not after they been there… Plus since it's a place you know you really shouldn't go, It'll only hurt you more… Trust me…"

"Right…" She said as she looked to the floor. "Well then what about Vacuo?"

"What about it?" Ashton asked.

"If you're going there, Then when are we going to go to Vacuo?"

"Soon… Right after we take care of this situation in Atlas, I promise. Right after, We'll get to Vacuo and try to get you in touch with your sister."

"What's this?" Yang asked, She came up behind Ashton out of nowhere.

"Nothing." He said casually.

"Didn't sound like nothing." She said teasingly as she grabbed onto his right arm. "In fact it sounded like you two were planning something." She said with a grin.

"Well it was, And if it wasn't nothing, It's nothing you need to be concerned with, How about that?"

"Aw, That's real mean, Ash." She said.

Ashton rolled his eyes as he shrugged her off of his arm, They were in front of a large closed door now. "Here we are." He said as he pressed a large button, The door hissed open to reveal a large aircraft hangar on the other side.

"A hangar?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah." Ashton said as he walked inside, The hangar was buzzing with activity, None of the people running around doing their jobs payed much attention to Ashton, Jaune, or any of the teens.

"Why a hangar?" Blake asked.

"Because, I figure we got some free time, So why not show you guys something cool." He motioned with his hand for everyone to follow him. They moved between the rows of different kinds of aircraft. There were the Pelicans they had seen before, Along with the F-41's they had seen when they first arrived. Ashton put his hand on an AV-14 as he walked past it before stopping in front of a Pelican.

"You awake sleeping beauty!?" Ashton yelled out, Whoever was inside the aircraft only responded by placing their middle finger against the cockpit glass.

"Eh?" Jaune said as he looked back and forth from the cockpit to Ashton.

"Yeah, Fuck you too, Pop the hatch, Will ya sunshine?" Ashton sighed, The rear of the pelican slowly dropped open.

"You sure got a way with words, Ash…" Yang said as the group walked to the rear of the aircraft.

"Yeah, I know." He grinned, The teens took notice of the big white 'MARINES' painted on the rear of the aircraft. Ashton slapped the top of the hatch frame as he entered the aircraft.

"What the bloody hell you want?" A rough, But familiar voice called from the front. It was the one Ashton was calling Rip earlier.

"Not much, Just showing them around."

"And you hafta be bringin' 'em in here?"

"Yeah, They only rode in a Pelican once, Figured I'd show 'em around on properly."

"Fine, Show 'em around the Shady Lady. I don't give a damn."

"Shady lady?" Weiss asked.

"Name of the aircraft, Kiddie. We all name 'em. This beautiful bitch here is the Shady Lady." Rip said as he patted the control surfaces.

"Right…" She said before walking outside.

"Well, This here is the passenger area." Ashton said as he patted the wall. "Seats about twenty last time I checked, You know Rip?" Ashton asked, His friend had already gone back to sleep.

"Nice guy." Blake said.

"He grows on you." Ashton shrugged. "Up there is the cockpit, You can go up there, But don't touch anything, And don't wake Rip up, Alright?"

Ruby immediately ran for the cockpit with Nora trailing close behind. "And there they go." Ren said.

"Can't say I blame them, Even I think stuff like the Pelican is cool."

"It is interesting." Blake said. "It's like our Bullheads, But bigger."

"I suppose, Say, If you guys want you can take a look out front, Check out the gun on this bad boy and stuff."

"Meh, Okay." Yang shrugged as she walked back out on the ramp, Blake, Ren, and Pyrrha followed her.

"I'd get acquainted with this aircraft, Jaune." Ashton sighed as he sat down on the ramp. "You'll be seeing a lot of it from now on."

"Right." Jaune nodded before walking off after the others.

Ashton took in the noises around him as he sat there, Ruby and Nora messing around in the cockpit, The others outside, The sounds of people being hailed over the speakers, Crewmen rushing around to do their jobs. He closed his eyes and began to let himself nod off… That was until he felt someone sit down next him, He opened his eyes and looked over to his left, It was Weiss.

"Oh, Hey." He yawned.

"Yeah, Hey…" She said.

"What?"

She looked over to him with an irritated look on her face. "Really?"

"I'm joking, I'm joking." He said with a grin. "Jeez, Lighten up a bit."

She sighed before speaking again. "Ashton…"

"Yeah?" He asked as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"I had one more thing I wanted to talk about first." She paused. "I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"Well there was a person I used to like, But not anymore." She had a worried look on her face for a second. "But they still like me, I don't know what to do"

"What makes you think I'm any more knowledgeable with that kind of situation than you?" He asked.

"I don't know… I know I can trust you though."

"Be blunt, If this person really likes you, They'd understand." He shrugged.

"I guess…" She said. "Okay, Now the thing from the other day."

"Yeah?"

"You said you keep your promises… So make me a promise right now."

"What is it?"

"Promise me that… That you'll stay safe… That we'll all get out of this okay. That… You'll be there for me at the end of this."

"I promise." He said with a hint of regret in his voice, He knew fully well that there was no way he could guarantee any of that. But he'd try.

"Thank you." She said, She let a small smile cross her face. She slid closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you…" She repeated.

"Shhh." He said as he let his head drop, And his mind soak everything in.

**One hour later**

Ashton lifted his head up, The noise in the hangar had died down quite a bit. He looked around, He couldn't see Ruby or Nora in the cockpit anymore, He couldn't hear the others either. Weiss was still there though, On his shoulder, She had fallen asleep as well. He shook his shoulder a little bit to wake her up.

"Morning." He said, Her face turned bright red.

"Oh… Yeah."

He grinned. "Any idea where the others went?"

"Garcia came by earlier, Said he didn't want to wake you, That you'd need your rest. He took the others with him and I said I'd watch you."

"No offense, But you didn't do much of a good job then if you fell asleep."

"Quiet you." She said sternly. "I didn't have to stay at all."

"Of course you didn't" He chuckled before standing up. "Well, Let's get outta here then."

"Thank you." She said as he helped her to her feet.

The two of them walked through the rows of aircraft again, Back the direction they had come originally. She stayed closer to him this time.

"Ashton… I'm scared." She finally said.

"Perfectly natural to be scared, You are human after all."

"Right, And those things kill humans."

"Yeah, But they're not here right now. Look, Like I said, You're safe here on this ship. Safer than you would be down on the surface."

"Yes, But YOU are going down there." She said as they exited the hangar, She grabbed onto his arm.

"I am, And it's better that way."

"I'm worried something is going to happen, Like last time."

"It won't, Like I said, It's better this way. Better to have you up here worrying about me down there, Than being down there and having to have me worry because you could get hurt… Or worse. Besides, If you're not down there, I won't have to take any hits." He grinned.

She started to give him an annoyed look but smiled instead. "Please stay safe." She said as they continued to walk.

"Of course I will. This will all be over before you know it, We'll beat the Covenant just like we've done in the past, Then you'll go back to Beacon… And me… Well I don't know."

"You can come back to Beacon too." She said hopefully.

"I don't know… Only reason I went before was because I had nowhere else to go, This is my home." He said as he patted the wall of the ship.

"You could still come back to Beacon, After all of this."

"And do what? Become one of those huntsmen you told me about? No, That won't happen."

"Why not?" She asked as they rounded a corner.

"Because, If we make it past all of this, I belong to the UNSC first and foremost. I think they're going to be putting most of their efforts into getting home, Not letting one guy do as he pleases in a strange new world."

"What do you mean you belong to them? I mean, I know you work for them, But like…"

"I belong to the UNSC, I signed a contract, When that contract runs out, Then I'm no longer theirs."

"Oh…" She said. "But what was that about getting home?"

"I'm not guaranteeing anything." He said as they made their way down a ramp. "But my guess is as soon as the Covenant are gone they'll prioritize getting home to our world."

"And you'd go with them…"

"Eh, I don't know for sure. I might, I might not, We shouldn't be talking about this right now anyway, No idea if it will even happen."

"Right." She nodded.

"Look, Weiss. I'm going to head off for my briefing now." He had stopped in front of the barracks room where they had been staying.

"Oh…" She said as she let go of his arm. "I understand… Good luck."

"Yeah…" He said as he turned towards her. "Good luck…" He stared right into her eyes before pulling her close into a hug.

Neither of them noticed it, But a certain blue haired boy had started to come around the corner, He had heard team RWBY was staying in one of the rooms here. When he saw them hugging he quickly dove back around the corner and watched. As Weiss entered the room and Ashton took off down the hall he let a frown cross his face. His friend was right, He had a reason to dislike him after all.

**Fifteen minutes earlier**

**Private First Class Jaune Arc, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"Here you guys are." Garcia said as he opened the barracks room door for the group of teens. "That concludes your tour, Hope you enjoyed."

"It was definitely… Informative." Yang said as they entered the room, Garcia had spared no details about what went down on every part of the ship.

"Yes, Thank you." Ren said with a slight bow.

"No problem, Kiddies, Whatever her name was should end up waking Ash soon, So she'll be back, Catch ya guys lat- Oh wait a sec, Arc."

Jaune looked up. "Yeah?"

"Your briefing is in twenty minutes, Don't get too comfortable." Garcia said as he touched an earpiece he had in, Someone was sending him that information.

"Alright, Thank you."

"No problem, Catch you guys later." Garcia said as he dashed out of the room.

"What do you think Weiss is doing right now?" Yang joked with Blake.

"I don't know, Yang, What?" Blake asked annoyed, Her partner only responded by making a kissy face. "I highly doubt that, Yang." Blake said as she rolled her eyes.

"Yes," Ren cut in, "I know what you're implying, It seems highly unlikely, Ashton does not come across as the.. Romantic type."

"True.. Yang said as she looked down at the ground.

"Jaune." Pyrrha finally spoke, It was the first time she had spoken in hours, She had remained awfully quiet ever since the meeting.

"What is it, Pyrrha?" Jaune asked, Relieved his partner was finally speaking again.

"Is this… What you really want to do?" She asked.

"Y-yes." He stammered, Caught off guard that Pyrrha, Who always seemed to support him, Was questioning him on this too.

"Well…" She placed one of her hands on his armored shoulder. "If this is what you think is best Jaune, I fully respect that and I'm going to support you on this one hundred percent."

"Thank you…" Jaune said as he looked at his partner in the eyes. "Coming from you, Pyrrha, That means a lot."

"It's not fair that Jaune gets to go back on the surface and fight back. I could have done it" Ruby exclaimed.

"Because your body didn't match the type for the suit, I'm also pretty sure she said the surgery would have killed you." Yang said with a sigh to her sister.

Jaune laughed as Weiss entered the room, He stopped and stretched before standing up from the bunk he had been sitting on. "Guess that's my que." He said as he walked towards the door. "Goodbye guys!" He called out before stepping into the hall, He could feel Pyrrha watching him but he didn't want to turn and face her.

Jaune stepped out into the hall and could hear someone running, He turned his head and swore he saw someone disappear around the corner but he shrugged it off, He had to get to this briefing.

**Sergeant Ashton Dommer, July 17th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

Ashton and Jaune were in the room from earlier in the day, Where they received the new armor and weapons. General Cato was there along with Lieutenant Murray, There was one other officer they did not recognize.

"Good evening, Gentlemen." General Cato said. "I hope you two spent your free time well."

"Yes, Sir." They responded.

"Good to hear, Because I'm afraid the road ahead will be hard. Not only for you, But for all of us." General Cato nodded to the other officer, He took out a remote and clicked a button, A map appeared against a wall. "Let's get down to business, Gentlemen. This area is Atlas, As told to me by that Ozpin fellow. The Covenant began their assault here so it only makes sense they have amassed their ground forces here mostly. The real problem is that it's a communications deadzone. Nothing goes in or out, Which means nothing goes through either. They're hiding something down there. Which is why you boys along with other elements of First Recon will be deployed in first to accomplish a few things. One, Establish the beachhead, Take out targets of opportunity and try to soften up the enemy forces for the main attack. Two, Gather intel on enemy positions, Force sizes, Etc. Three, Break the communications blackout. When you're in there we'll have no way of contacting you, Try to find out what is causing the problem and destroy it by any means necessary."

"Yes, Sir." They responded again.

"It's gonna be hell in there, Possibly a division sized force or more, I wouldn't doubt more. Enemy air power, Armor support, And other things we may not know about. No telling what they're hiding in there, They could also have spires, Wouldn't surprise me. I wish you both the best of luck in this operation, Maybe your expected performance will save Lieutenant Murray's ass, Whom I am turning this briefing over to now." General Cato said with a nod.

Jaune turned to Ashton and mouthed. "What's a spire?"

Ashton gave him a look telling him he'd say later.

"You won't be deploying with SOEIVs, Covenant could calculate the angle you came in and figure out where Cerberus is. Instead you'll be deploying by more… Conventional means." Lieutenant Murray said as she patted the objects on the table. "Falcon Wing aerial descent units… Parachutes. The other elements of First Recon will be deploying the same way."

"Parachutes…" Jaune said nervously.

"You'll both be jumping from a Pelican right above the dead zone. Once your altimeter goes off pull this and it will deploy, Try to land as carefully as possible, And stick together. It increases your odds of survival vastly. Any questions?"

"No, Ma'am." Ashton nodded.

"Er… I've never used a parachute in my life." Jaune said sheepishly.

"Like I said when the altimeter goes off you're at the height where you need to pull this." Lieutenant Murray said as she pointed to the release. "Then the parachute will deploy, After that it's very simple to steer, Just pull on the two handles."

"Er… Got it," Jaune said. "I think…"

"We don't have time for this, Both of you gear up now and get down to the hangar, You have five minutes, Dismissed." Lieutenant Murray said as she left the room, The other officer followed her out shortly after.

Jaune and Ashton gathered up their weapons, They both holstered their new M6X pistols. Jaune held the MA5K in his hands, Ashton put on his Falcon Wing first before shouldering the SRS and gather up his new XM395 in his arms. They both put on their new helmets, Ashton hadn't had the time to carve his nickname into the new one yet.

They made their way for the door, But Ashton stopped and turned to Jaune.

"You ready?" Ashton asked.

"Yes." Jaune said calmly.

"What was that?"

"Yes!"

"Damn straight, You're gonna be a killer, Rifleman. Let me hear your warcry!" Ashton said as he placed his arm on Jaune's shoulder, Jaune remembered the warcry Ashton had taught him earlier in their spare time.

"OORAH!" Jaune yelled, The word didn't quite roll off his tongue correctly, But he would learn

"OORAH!" Ashton screamed, With that they both took off running down the hall for the hangar… And to war.

**A/N: There we go another chapter down, Hope you enjoyed it. Explained the Lieutenant's project a bit more, Geared up the boys, Made Neptune jealous, Sorry I lied a bit about there being more action this chapter, But there was a little. In truth this chapter was originally going to include some of the recon operation into Atlas, But that'll have to wait until next chapter. Right now though, I'd like to take the time to thank each and every one of you who take the time to read this story. It would definitely not be where it is right now if I didn't have all the support you guys show for it, So thank you. Follow it, Favorite it, Leave a review, Until next time, Enjoy.**


	9. Act 1, Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Halo they are respectively owned by Rooster Teeth and 343 Industries**

(Text / Speech)

**(Flashbacks / Author Notes / Video Recordings)**

_(Thoughts)_

**Chapter 9: Atlesian Nights**

**Sergeant Ashton Dommer, July 18th -, Pelican en route to Drop Zone Valiant**

"This is it…" Jaune said, He was sitting across from Ashton. "I don't know if I can…"

"Shhh." Ashton said. "You're gonna do just fine… You're not exactly green when it comes to this… But I understand why you feel jittery, I felt it on my first time, We all felt it. Be glad you're not taking SOEIV down, Ride'd be plenty bumpy." Ashton understood how the boy felt, Every combatant always felt it, That feeling in the pit of your stomach right before you stepped off to war for the first time.

"At least the others waved us off." Jaune said perking up a bit.

"Mhmm, It's always good to get in that one last goodbye."

"Wish I could have brought my sword though…"

"Trust me, Jaune. This is a recon operation, I'm not expecting us to get into any out and out combat. You wanna travel light… Besides the MA5K should be plenty for you."

"I know it's just… My grandfather used it in his war… I would have just felt better at least having it with me."

"It'll be fine, It's safe on the ship. Sword'd only weigh you down, Jauney boy."

The dim lighting and quiet conversations among the Marines was interrupted as red light washed over them. The jumpmaster stood up and took his position by the rear door on the Pelican.

"RED LIGHT, STANDBY!" He yelled as the door opened, It was pitch black out, Raining too… Ashton was not looking forward to the jump. All the men stood up. "GEAR CHECK!"

"Lookin' good, Kid." Ashton said as he spun Jaune around, He made sure his Falcon Wing Aerial Descent Unit was on correctly. "Make sure your VISR is on, It's pitch black out there, Obviously power isn't online down there. But just as we were shown pre-flight, Lots of tall structures so be careful, Don't wanna end up colliding with a building because you didn't have your VISR on."

"Right." Jaune nodded as Ashton turned around for him to check his pack. The jumpmaster leaned off of the ramp for a moment, Making sure everything was good.

"Ready to rock?" Garcia asked as he slapped his hand down on Ashton's shoulder.

"Damn straight. First in, Last out."

"Good shit, Try not to let your fancy new suit get to your head, Psycho… And good luck out there, Kid." Garcia said to Jaune before taking position by the ramp. Suddenly, The red light flickered to green.

"GREEN LIGHT, GO GO GO!" The jumpmaster yelled as he signalled for the men to start jumping. Garcia looked over his shoulder and nodded before running off the ramp. The other Marines started to do the same, Ashton and Jaune were quickly making their way to the edge.

Jaune got to the edge of the ramp and froze up, Staring into the pitch black, The rain pelting him. "GO!" Ashton yelled as he pushed Jaune over the edge before he too threw himself into the howling dark.

He couldn't feel the rain hitting him through his armor, But it was really pouring, He flipped himself over and looked up, He had only been falling for a few seconds but it was so dark the Pelican was no longer visible. Ashton went back to focusing on his descent, He flicked on his VISR which didn't help him much, They had jumped from so high up it would be a minute before the city came into view. He could make out other ODSTs on his HUD, Jaune was there, His vitals were displayed on a monitor in the top left corner next to his name.

"Ash… I…. Regrets… Hate…. Jerk!" Jaune's voice cut in and out on their COM.

"Didn't quite catch that." Ashton said as he continued to fall, But he got the message, There really is no way to make a sane man jump from a perfectly fine aircraft other than push him. Jaune was still a sane man.

Suddenly a beeping began filling Ashton's head, He was at the altitude he'd need to pull his chute. As he gave the handle a solid tug the sudden jerk as his speed dropped rapidly gave him a shock. He had only ever gone through basic training with these things, Most of his deployments were via SOEIV or Pelican. It wasn't like he had a need to anyway, These ways of getting down were for Army Airborne units, Not normally an ODSTs choice of transport.

His VISR started to outline the tops of buildings for him, He was approaching his landing… And fast. He tried to get in contact with Jaune over radio comms. "Jaune, You hear me?" He was met with static.

"_Crap… He should be fine, I can imagine all these buildings messing with radio, Especially since he should be lower down than me right now… Speaking of buildings, Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit!"_ Ashton thought to himself as he was met with a nice big skyscraper in his descent path, He tried to steer out of the way but he was far too late. He grimaced and braced himself. Tucking his legs in as the impact approached. He impacted the glass like surface with a loud thud and then a shatter as he bursted through, He rolled across the floor and slammed into some kind of desk. He would have kept going but his chute was snagged on what was left of the window and stopped him.

His body screamed in pain from the impact, He was sprawled out on his back and lifted his head slightly to make sure he was still in one piece before letting his head slump back down and saying a silent prayer of thanks to whatever god was listening at the moment.

**Ruby Rose, July 18th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

Ruby lazily kicked her legs as she lay on her stomach, She was on the bunk she had slept in the entire time she was aboard the ship. It was technically late at night, She hadn't slept in quite a few hours, But she couldn't fall asleep even if she tried. She noticed some movement from her sisters bunk.

"Yang…" Ruby paused and lowered her voice, Fearing she would wake anyone who wasn't awake. "Are you asleep?"

"No… Why aren't you?" Her sister responded.

"I can't."

"Thinking about Ash and Jaune?"

"Yeah, It's kinda hard to believe they're gone…" Ruby said, The sadness she felt was evident in her voice.

"You say it like they're dead." Weiss's voice cut in from across the room, She wasn't sleeping either.

"The odds are there." Yang pointed out.

"That's a terrible thing to suggest, Yang." This time it was Blake's voice, She sounded more annoyed than anything, Ruby figured Blake was actually sleeping, But she couldn't agree more the thought of either of her close friends dying scared her.

"Fine… Jeez, Sorry." Yang said as she flipped onto her stomach, She looked in Weiss's direction through the dark. "Soooo, Weiss. I didn't get a chance to ask earlier, How'd your date go?"

"It was not a date!" Weiss protested.

"Oh? Really now?" Yang said intrigued, It was never too late for her to have some girly gossip it would appear. "I don't know… You two were alone for an awful long time." Yang said as she made kissing noises.

"Quiet, No, There was nothing of the sort. Just talking, The most intimate thing that happened was a hug goodbye."

"Have you even told him how you feel about him?"

"No… I think he understands though, He gave me a hug…"

"I've hugged him, Ruby has too. I mean, If you're not gonna move in on him, I might just have to take him from you." Yang said.

"Honestly... " Blake cut in. "I don't understand what you two see in him."

"Seriously though, If you don't tell him anything it could be too late. We are at war here and one stray bomb, Or a bullet, Or whatever those aliens use could end it all." Yang said.

"Seriously, Can we just go to sleep?" Blake asked annoyed, She could be heard rolling over in her bunk, What they just said appeared to have touched a nerve for her.

Yang slowly drifted to sleep, So did Ruby, Weiss on the other hand, She lay there staring at the ceiling, Taking in what was just said. She realised what Yang said was right, This was a war and either of them could die at any moment. She shuddered at the thought. She rolled over and buried her head in her pillow, Torturing herself with thoughts of what Ashton was doing right now, Whether or not he was hurt, Dead, Or worse. Eventually she stopped though, She felt satisfied with the thought that the chances were against that. Ashton was more than capable and as much as she disliked his potty mouth and how he could act a bit… dumb at times, She knew from what she had seen that he was cool under pressure and was fine.

"Then I'll do just that…" Weiss said to herself softly, Letting a thin smile cross her face as she thought of the next time she would see Ashton.

**Sergeant Ashton Dommer, July 18th -, Atlas, Remnant**

"Fuck…" Ashton silently muttered after laying in silence for a few minutes. "Fuck me…"

Ashton brought his head back up and looked around the room. He was in what appeared to be some kind of office, A tug at his shoulders reminded him he was still attached to his Falcon Wing. He unsheathed his machete and gave it a quick swipe across the cords, The wind tugged the chute itself out into the air after a moment.

Ashton pulled himself up using the desk in front of him, At the same time he decided to attempt to get into contact with any of the other ODSTs who dropped in.

"Any units this net, This is Dagger 1-3, DZ Valiant, Any units this net respond, Over." He was met with a crisp static, Still unable to contact anyone.

"_Can't reach Jaune or anyone in my squad on a private channel… Can't reach anyone over open comms, Lovely." _Ashton thought to himself as he brought the XM395 into his hands, He looked over the suppressor on the end of the barrel before pulling back the slide to send a round into the chamber.

Suddenly, A blip on his motion tracker caught his attention. Someone… Or something was nearby. He shook his head to shake off the sharp pain he felt in his leg as he approached the door. Whatever was out there quickly moved out of range of his motion tracker, Ashton paused with his hand on the door handle before pull it open and sweeping the immediate area with his gun.

He didn't know what else he was expecting when he stepped out into the hallway, Darkness, Plasma burns all over the walls, Dead bodies strewn here and there. A dead Grunt caught his eye and caused a small smile to cross his face, At least these people had fought back in some way. Ashton raised his rifle in the direction whatever was on his motion tracker had gone off in and followed slowly.

This building was definitely a good place for him to end up getting jumped in close quarters by some concealed enemy so his guard was up tight. He checked every corner he came across with ruthless efficiency.

"There's gotta be anybody nearby…" Ashton silently muttered to himself as he made his way down another hallway. "Eugh…" He verbally showed his disgust as he stepped over a pair of dead children, Not a sight he enjoyed seeing.

"_This is gonna be one helluva night…"_ Ashton thought to himself as he picked up the contact on his motion tracker again, It was close, Maybe a few rooms down. There were other contacts now though, At least two moving around inside the room with the other one. He was definitely not alone in the building. He crept down the hallway with his rifle at the ready, Strangely enough, He was met with something he was not expecting when he finally got down to the room and kicked the door in, Once he had rushed inside and the inhabitants recovered from the initial shock of having an ODST barge his way in, He found they weren't Covenant forces or Civilians, Whoever these people were they were armed as one had a rifle in his hand and aimed it immediately at Ashton.

The ODST was quicker than this person in a strange set of clothing, Some kind of mask covering their eyes, He knocked the rifle out of their hands and grabbed the person before spinning them around and holding them hostage as the other occupants of the room had drawn their weapons.

"Stand down, Or I'll cap his ass." Ashton said as he let his rifle drop and hang from its sling as he pressed his M6X to the hostages head. The others didn't comply, Ashton noted they were dressed similarly to the person who was struggling to free himself from his grip. The other people, Three in total, Not including the one Ashton was holding, Aimed each of their weapons. An assortment of rifles and pistols. By the time Ashton had realised what was going to happen he was a fraction of a second too late in diving out of the way. The bullets tore through the person he had been holding's body relentlessly and Ashton watched as the persons body rocked back and forth with each impact, Ashton himself was nicked in the leg as he dove away but the light shielding proved effective as he sustained no real damage.

Now it was Ashton's turn to deal some damage, As he hit the floor he aimed the M6X pistol at one of the people and let a five round burst fly, The automatic fire proving quite effective, His target fell over dead. The other two decided not to press their luck and took off through a doorway behind them, Ashton watched on his motion tracked as they began to open the distance from him.

"Oh hell no!" He yelled as he sprang to his feet and began running after the two, He took a mental note of the weird symbol on the chest of the one he shot as he ran past their body. Ashton kept on the pursuit of the pair through multiple rooms, Just barely keeping up with them. They were bobbing and weaving between offices. and lobbies. He was managing to catch up to them as he was able to put a burst of fire into ones leg, Who let out a scream in a voice indicating it was a girl, Her comrade lifted her up after she fell to her knee from the impact and carried her through another door.

Ashton was about to continue after them, But he suddenly found himself on the floor. It took a minute for the pain he was in to register in his brain. "FUCK!" He finally screamed out, He immediately began the task of finding the cause of his pain and it didn't take long.

Standing above Ashton was what he thought was a young woman, She had knocked him down with what appeared to be an umbrella. She brought her odd weapon up and prepared to bring it down on him again, Ashton rolled out of the way at the last second. She moved with surprising speed though and quickly pinned him in place for someone of her size by placing one of her booted feet on his chest.

The light shielding on his experimental armor lowered even more, It had almost broke from the initial blow and hadn't been given time to recharge yet. Ashton took the brief moment of calm to examine his assailant, The best word he could use to label her was strange, Strange hair, Strange clothes, Strange… weapon? He didn't know if he was going to classify an umbrella as a weapon yet. As he raised his pistol and took aim at her head he noticed her eyes alternated color when she blinked.

"_Oh look at you with your cool little tricks," _Ashton thought to himself. _"Not like they'll do you any good in a sec."_ He fired the remaining bullets in the magazine up at the young women who merely sidestepped out of the way, Ashton took this opportunity to spring to his feet.

The young woman quickly recovered and was already coming at him again, Not having time for a reload Ashton drew his machete. A smile crossed her face when she saw this and swung her umbrella at him, He blocked the blow with his blade, But as he reeled back to counterattack she moved in close. The height difference between the two was significant.

She had caught him, Ashton was defenceless with her being in so close. She lifted one of her legs high into the air before he could react and placed it down on his shoulder, She smirked at him as she sent him to the ground with a powerful push to the side. Ashton's machete skidded away from him. Ashton started to get up but a flurry of kicks sent him back to the ground, The light shielding breaking with a loud pop.

Ashton spun around on his back as she placed her boot on his chest again, He watched as she pulled the handle out of the umbrella, Turned out he could classify it as a weapon as the handle was attached to a long slender blade. She ran the blade along his armor, Making an audible noise.

Ashton figured if he was going to die he'd do one last thing if he was going to die, Look his killer in the face. He depolarized his visor and stared her down as she stopped the blade on his upper chest. She studied his face for a moment before letting an evil smile cross hers.

"Any day now, Sweetheart. I got a date with the devil." He said flatly, She wanted a reaction.

She raised the blade above her head and was about to bring it down into his chest when suddenly Ashton heard a low muffled thumping sound before several zips and cracks. The girl ducked her head down and rolled out of the way, Ashton looked up at his motion tracker and realised four UNSC personnel were in the room.

Ashton took the opportunity to get his XM395 ready, He aimed it at the girl and fired two shots, They went wide but she got the message. She began to run and the volume of gunfire from the other four people in the room increased, Ashton watched as things kick up around her, The bullets just missing before she finally made her way through a door and out of the room.

"After her?" A voice asked.

"Negative, Set up perimeter." Another one responded.

Ashton took a moment to catch his breath, That was twice today he almost died. He listened to the hum as his light shielding regenerated. He repolarized his visor as he sat up, The events of the night were just going to get more interesting he supposed. He was about to stand up when he felt a soft kick at his back.

"There ya are, Ya fuckin' lug." A familiar voice said.

Ashton turned around to find Garcia standing over him. He greeted his friend with an elbow to the knee.

"Nice to see you too, Asshole."

Garcia hopped on one leg for a moment holding his knee while Ashton got up off the ground. After he finished hopping around he returned the favor by punching Ashton's shoulder… Which didn't do much.

"Nice try, But maybe next time." Ashton said as Garcia shook his hand. "The kid with you?"

"Yeah." Garcia said. "Arcy boy is around, He's watching the door we came in through."

"Good, Good." Ashton paused. "How was it out there?"

"Out there? Bad. Covvie patrols everywhere, As to be expected, Nearly found us twice. We duck in here because we got the faintest hint of your signal, Next thing we know we're in a firefight with some weird assholes in some kinda fuckin' uniforms."

"You too?"

"Yeah, We were moving up some flights of stairs when the fifth guy that was with us got jumped by one in CQB, They both toppled over the railing."

"Damn… Who was it?"

"Macy, Good kid. A shame really."

"Still, These white uniform freaks really are weird. I walked in on four of 'em looking out a window." Ashton said. "Grabbed one and they shot him to pieces, Killed another, Two got away."

"No they didn't." Garcia said with a chuckle. "If you're talking about a particularly tall one and one with a leg wound they ran right into us, You'd be proud to know that the kid blew them both away after the initial shock."

"Good for him." Ashton said as he leaned against a cubicle. "You see that chick that had me pinned?"

"A quick glimpse, She about as much of a freak as the others?"

"Yeah, You know what she beat me to the ground with? A fuckin' umbrella."

Garcia couldn't help but laugh when he heard this. "You? Got beat up with an umbrella?" He broke out into laughter again.

"Fuck you, She was stronger than she looked."

"Whatever man."

"Anyway, You land far from here?"

"A few blocks, Met up with the kid shortly after, Managed to get his ass caught on a light fixture. After I cut him down we ran into a few others and now we're here… Anyway, Go check in on the kid, He was a little shaken up after he gunned down two people."

"Right." Ashton said as he walked off, The area was still well organized even though a Covenant invasion, and more recently a firefight had broken out. Ashton walked past one of the other ODSTs that was with Garcia and gave a nod of acknowledgement, The ODST was watching the door the girl had disappeared through, The other one was looking out one of the giant glass windows. Ashton found Jaune where Garcia said he would be, Watching the door the small group had entered from.

Jaune was leaned against the doorframe, Halfway in both rooms. He had taken his helmet off and laid it on the floor, The MA5K he had hung loosely from it's sling. He was clearly deep in thought. Ashton broke him out of it with a slap on his shoulder.

"Hey, Bud. How's it going?" Ashton asked as he took off his helmet and let it hang loosely in his free hand.

Jaune turned and looked at him, He ran his hand through his hair, Which although he let Garcia cut it was still messy and kind of long, before speaking. "Fine."

"Yeah? How was your first jump out of a moving aircraft?"

Jaune's stare went cold, Not something he did often. "You're a jerk, Ash. You really are. You pushed me out!"

"Of course, You froze up, I missed my landing position because of you and instead I landed inside of a building." Ashton said matter of factly.

The two went quiet for a minute before Jaune finally spoke. "I didn't think it would be this bad down here, Ya know. Like… You said it wouldn't be pretty… But the dead are everywhere."

"Of course they are." Ashton said as the thunder boomed outside. "It's the Covenant, They'll kill anything."

"Yeah…" Jaune's voice trailed off.

"Speaking of anything, You got into a firefight with those people?"

"Yeah…"

"And I hear you killed two?"

"Yeah… They just ran into me, I just… Reacted and let the whole magazine rip into the two of them. I didn't even realise what happened until after."

"Well you did good." Ashton said as he took a cigarette from his chest pouch, He lit it up and took a puff before holding it out in his hand to Jaune who refused it.

"Ashton…" Jaune said.

"Hmm?" Ashton asked after taking another puff from the cigarette.

"Do you… Know who these people are?"

"No, Why?"

"Ash, I looked them over after I killed them… These are members of the White Fang. Did anyone ever tell you who they are?"

"Weiss glanced over the topic once. Gave me a very brief explanation as to who they are."

"Well, This building was clearly crawling with them." Jaune said, A worried look on his face. "What were the White Fang doing in Atlas?"

"Hell if I know." Ashton said as he took one final puff from the cigarette before flicking it aside. "I ain't no uh… What were they called… Faunus. That's the word, I ain't one of those so I ain't in their little group." He shrugged. "They're terrorists right? I imagine they're doing what any terrorists would be doing in all this chaos, Taking advantage of it to further their plans… Or something."

"Right." Jaune paused. "We should get back to the others."

"Yeah, Let's go." Ashton said as he popped his helmet back on.

**Four hours later**

**Ruby Rose, July 18th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

Ruby let out a yawn as she stretched awake, She rubbed her eyes and sat up. Looking around the room she found that Blake was still asleep, Weiss was also just waking up, But Yang was nowhere to be seen.

"Good morning Weiss." Ruby said with a small yawn.

"Good morning to you too." She responded.

"Sleeping sure is weird here…" Ruby said as she opened her scroll so she could see what time it was, At least in Vale.

"Yes, I don't think I could get used to this whole sleeping in space thing. It's the early morning in Vale so we feel we need to get up, Yet we're on the dark side of Remnant."

"Gooooood morning everyone!" Yang suddenly came through the door, Blake was rudely awoken and almost flopped out of her bunk. Yang was followed closely behind by Ren, Pyrrha, and Nora.

"You're cheerful this morning." Ruby said.

"Of course I am, Sis. Take a guess at what I did?" Yang said with a mischievous grin.

"Er…" Ruby was a bit taken aback. "What?"

"That's not how it works! Guess!"

"You… got superpowers?" Ruby said, Yang frowned.

"No, I talked to the commander general guy earlier."

"Okay?" Weiss said.

"Aaaaaand I asked if it would be possible for us to get down on Remnant."

Ruby's eyes lit up like christmas tree. "AND?"

"And, Turns out we can." Yang said with a wink. "We can be on a flight down to Atlas in four hours."

"Why so long from now?" Weiss asked.

"It's their main assault, We'd be hitching a ride."

"Well, Let's do it then!" Ruby said.

"Isn't that the opposite of what Ashton wanted though?" Blake finally spoke. "He wanted us to stay up here."

"Hmmph, Well he'll just be pleasantly surprised then." Weiss said as she made her way to the door. "I'll be grabbing a shower and then some food, Come get me when it's time." She said before walking out.

"I'll do the same." Ruby said going to follow Weiss. "Good job, Yang."

"What's the real plan?" Blake asked after Ruby and Weiss left.

"Well, We technically do have permission to go down there." Yang said. "General what's his name just said we'd be responsible for the transport." She said sheepishly. Pyrrha sighed.

"So he never gave you permission then?"

"No no no, He did. It's just we're not exactly going to be showing up on any official seating charts so we kind of… have to… sneak on. Or at least be discreet about it."

"Yang…" Blake sighed.

"What? I'm sorry, Blake. You may be fine listening to him when he says for us to just sit up here and do nothing, But I'm not, I want to be down there fighting. This is what we were training before all of this happened, Training to defend our world from all the bad things that happen… Well this is one of those things, And why should Ashton have all the fun anyway?"

"Yang, It's not that I'm perfectly fine with sitting up here and doing nothing while others are down there fighting and dieing, No what I'm thinking about is the fact that Ashton, Our friend, Asked us to stay up here because he knew we'd be safer, Instead of down on the ground where we have a significantly higher chance of being hurt which puts more stress on him."

"Blake has a point." Said Ren, Chiming in. "He asked all of us to stay up here not just for our good, But for his own as well. He HAS to be down there, So he's probably already stressed enough and under a lot of pressure. He doesn't want to have to worry about any of us more than necessary at the same time."

"Well… Like Weiss said, Him and Jaune will be getting a pleasant surprise when all of us show up to save them." Yang said matter of factly.

"What do you mean save them?" Blake asked.

"Well I mean, Jaune's probably in a corner right now, No offense to him, With lasers or whatever flying over head, And Ashton's holding off swarms of aliens with a machinegun like 'ratatatatatata'!" Yang said making a gesture like she was shooting a gun from the hip.

"Right… Say, What do you really think they're doing right now?" Blake asked.

"In reality… Nothing probably, The General guy just said they were doing recon, Right?"

**Sergeant Ashton Dommer, July 18th -, Atlas, Remnant**

"Jeez…" Jaune whispered as he crawled up to the window.

"Shh." Ashton hushed him in an annoyed tone, Over the past few hours the small group of five ODSTs had made their way back to ground level and moved several city blocks, Avoiding Covenant forces. Along the way they mapped out the route they took so if they had to go back it would be easy. After nearly being caught several times by phantom patrols they entered a building to set up a Forward Observation Post. The ODSTs didn't know quite exactly what they had stumbled across until several minutes later when Ashton took the SRS up to one of the upper floors to set it up.

"What the hell is that?" Jaune asked, The lightning illuminated the tall structure that was looming over the skyscrapers around it.

"That… Is a spire." Garcia whispered.

"Well… What does it do?"

"Well, It's probably, If not the cause, Contributing to the cause of this communications blackout. It's a forward command center, It'll also be linked to the Covenant ship so it can teleport down reinforcements." Ashton said blankly before letting out a sigh.

"Well… What do we do about it?" Jaune asked.

"What do we do about it?" Garcia said as he looked over at him. "There ain't nothing we can do about it, It'll take way too much ordnance that we don't have down here. We'll have to wait for the main assault for the amount of firepower required to bring that down… Unless you want to go get to the top of that thing and shut it down?"

"I'll uh… Stay down here." Jaune said.

"Thought so."

"Well shit…" Ashton said. "Nothing we can do about it, Like Garcia said, We'll just have to wait until the main attack happens, Until then we just gotta hold here and keep taking in enemy force sizes." Ashton paused. "Garcia, Take the other two guys and watch the entrance, Me and Jaune'll be up here watching the intersection."

"Rog." Garcia said before running off down a staircase.

"Alright, Jaune. From here on out everything'll be simple, We just gotta keep track of all enemy forces that move through this area. No shooting if we're lucky, But just in case…" Ashton's voice trailed off as he patted the SRS. "Keep this ready, Aye?"

"G-got it." Jaune said as he slid over and took up the SRS.

"Right… Let's begin then…" Ashton said as Jaune began sweeping the nearby buildings and the street with the SRS, Looking for any hostiles.

"Whoa… What's that?" Jaune asked.

Ashton looked where he was aiming and noticed the vehicle. "We call that a Ghost, Fast moving, Twin plasma cannons… It'll ruin your day."

"It looks familiar…"

"There were some in that combat footage you saw that day." Ashton said as the Ghost being driven by a Grunt was joined by three others, They were hunting for something, Ashton could tell from how slow they were driving.

"Hey… Hey, Ash. I got something." Jaune said, He had adjusted his aim.

"What is it?"

"Group of ODSTs, Looks like three, South east of our current position, Looks like they're trying to make their way towards the spire."

"I'll try pulling them up on comms." Ashton said as he opened up his communications channel, Again breaking Recon protocol, He did a quick check on the basic map of the city he had before speaking. "ODST Group in grid nine echo two, This is Dagger 1-3, Do you copy? If you can hear me do not, I repeat, Do not proceed on your current heading, There is a patrol of four Ghosts in the area, Do you read me?" Ashton waited several moments which felt like a lifetime waiting for a response, Every moment he left his comms channel open raised the chance he could be traced.

Finally he got a response from a rather young sounding ODST. "Roger than, Dagger 1-3. This is Phoenix 5-5, I read you loud and clear, Anything you can do about those Gho-"

"Ashton, The vehicles are moving." Jaune said calmly.

"Phoenix 5-5 cease comms immediately, Ghosts are tracing you." Ashton cut the ODST off, The comms immediately cut to static and then nothing as Ashton shut his own off.

"Ghosts are moving in on them, Should I shoot?" Jaune asked

"Negative… Not yet… Not yet." Ashton said as he watched the Ghosts move in, Gliding over the rubble filled street.

The Ghosts slowed to a halt in front of the building the other ODSTs had taken cover in, The building was low to the ground and he front was blown open. From his elevated position Ashton could see where the three ODSTs were hiding behind pieces of rubble, He hoped the Grunts piloting the Ghosts couldn't however. They had stopped and were examining the building as best as they could.

"Ash, They look like they're getting pretty antsy, Should I fire?"

"Yeah… Yeah.. Do it, But wait for some thunder to mask the noise."

Jaune did as instructed, Waiting for the crash of thunder to mask the noise of his shot. When the thunder finally happened he couldn't have fired a moment too soon as one of the Grunts was about to fire a few shots to see what would happen, The round impacted the creatures head and the ODSTs inside took this as their signal. The three of them popped up, M7S's in hand and began firing, They killed another Grunt relatively simply but by then the other two had ample time to react. They began firing their plasma cannons and one of the ODSTs fell over dead.

The other two ODSTs ducked back down into cover as the plasma fire raked their positions, Jaune lined up another shot and waited for the thunder. A moment later another Grunt fell over off of it's Ghost dead. Starting to panic the fourth Grunt began to swing it's Ghost around to run, The two ODSTs popped back up and started firing. But this time it was no use, With the speed of the Ghost the creature was able to get away.

Ashton took this moment to reopen his comms. "Phoenix 5-5, This is Dagger 1-3, Now's your chance to get the hell out of there and continue whatever your objective is, I'd hussle though, That Grunt is gonna be back, And he's gonna bring friends."

"Roger that, Dagger 1-3, Many thanks." Suddenly in the background Ashton heard the other ODST yell.

"Oh shit!"

"What the fu-" The one speaking to Ashton said before his mic cut to static.

"Phoenix 5-5?" Ashton asked. "Phoenix 5-5? You there? Phoenix 5-5, Do you copy?" Ashton asked before he shut down his comms. "God dammit… What the hell happened?"

"I think I know." Jaune said, Ashton responded by looking over to him. "I saw a Beowolf a second ago just now, So I have a pretty good feeling that they got jumped by Grimm."

"Grimm? Here in the city? How?"

"Well, Ash. I don't know if anyone told you, But they get attracted to negative emotions, City or not it's under siege here by aliens, That doesn't make for the happiest citizens, People under fire and having one of their buddies die would be giving off significant enough negative emotions too."

"I suppose so.." Ashton said. "God dammit.."

"What now?"

"What now, Jaune? We go back to waiting, We can't do much else, We'll have to keep low, That survivor is gonna bring back friends, Heavily armed friends who will be on edge." Ashton yawned as he leaned himself up against a wall while sitting.

"Tired?"

"Of course I'm tired."

"You want to sleep then?"

"Alright, Wake me in an hour and we'll shift, Okay?"

"Sounds good." Jaune said in a happier voice. "Rest easy."

**Weiss Schnee, July 18th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

Weiss let the warm water from the shower run through her hair, Trying to relax as she did so. This was usually a thing that would clear her head and let her think, But today it just wasn't working. Not like she didn't understand why of course. For one she was about to go home for the first time in what felt like forever. She was just sad it had to be under such dire circumstances, And under such methods. Then she had to think about the fact she was going down into a war zone. A war zone full of aliens who would love to do nothing more than kill her and every other person who inhabited Remnant. Finally… She had to think about Ashton. She had no idea about him right now, Whether he was alive or dead, Wounded or not, Trapped in some structure, Or what if he was captured… Actually, Now that she thought about it, The chances of Ashton allowing himself to be captured alive by the Covenant was really low, Same with letting them kill him. But then again, She didn't think they took prisoners anyway.

"God he's such an idiot, Now he's got me worrying about him." Weiss thought aloud to herself, She didn't know why she was whispering, She was alone in the showers, Not like anyone would actually hear her.

Weiss shook her head to bring herself back to reality before standing up and shutting the water off. She made her way out of the shower and started to dry herself off. As much as she did hate she was going home under these circumstances, She was still happy that she was. Ashton had warned her it wouldn't be the same, But she thought she was ready for it.

Weiss finished drying herself off and began putting on her clothes. Ruby happened to walk in and made her way to the other side of the room so she could begin undressing. A dull silence hung in the air for a moment, Weiss was fully dressed and was about to make her way out when Ruby spoke up.

"Weiss…"

"Yes, Ruby?" Weiss said, She slowly turned around to face her team leader.

"Weiss… Did… Nevermind." Ruby finally said before turning her back to Weiss and going back to her task of preparing for her shower.

"Er… Okay than, Ruby, Enjoy your shower." Weiss shrugged as she turned and went for the door. It slid open with a hiss and she stepped out into the hall. As usual Navy Crewmen and Marines were moving about at a hurried pace. She understood now more than ever, They were preparing for an organized ground offensive, The tension in the air was thick.

Weiss couldn't shake a weird feeling in her gut, Ruby tried to ask her something before but couldn't bring herself to do it, Weiss had no idea what it was about though.

Suddenly, Weiss felt a tap on her shoulder. When she turned around she was met with the woman who had first greeted them when they came aboard the ship, The woman who had also experimented on Ashton and Jaune.

"Good morning, Miss Schnee, Correct?" The woman asked.

"Yes, That's me." Weiss said.

"Good, I'm sure you remember me? I'm Lieutenant Alice Murray, Office of Naval Intelligence."

"Yes, I remember you, You did that thing to Ashton and Jaune that changed their eye colors."

"Well… I did a bit more than change their eye color, That was just a side effect, Like I said before. Anyway, Miss Schnee, I was wondering if you'd come with me for just a little bit, It won't take long, I assure you."

Weiss responded with a nod, Lieutenant Murray gave a polite smile and turned around, Motioning for Weiss to follow her. The two of them made their way through the halls of the ship, Instead of having to push her way through the groups of people as usual, Weiss noticed they were moving relatively quickly. This was because a majority of the people, Or at least the Naval Personnel, Upon seeing Lieutenant Murray's rank, Stepped aside and gave a salute.

Eventually they came to what Weiss presumed was Lieutenant Murray's office. Papers were strewn all about, Books and files all over the desk. A wall at the back had what appeared to be a diagram of the human body. Another thing on the desk that caught Weiss's eye was a shiny silver plated pistol.

"Please, Have a seat." Lieutenant Murray said as she gestured to the seat on the side of the desk nearest to the door which hissed shut.

Weiss did as instructed and sat down in the chair, It was quite comfortable. Lieutenant Murray made her way around the desk and plopped down in her chair, She disappeared under the desk for a moment as she leaned over. She came back up a moment later with a bottle in her hand.

"Bottled Coffee, Not the best, But it gets the job done, Care for some?" Lieutenant Murray asked.

"I… Uhm… No thank you." Weiss finally said, Trying to think of a proper response after being presented with the bottle right in her face.

"Suit yourself." Lieutenant Murray said before taking the cap off and having a large sip.

"So, Uhm… Can I ask why you had me come here?" Weiss asked, Being inside this room gave her an uneasy feeling.

"Right down to business, Huh?" Lieutenant Murray shrugged. "Fair enough."

"Yes, Right down to business." Weiss repeated.

"Then I'll be frank." Lieutenant Murray paused, Thinking for a moment. "You would consider Sergeant Dommer your friend, Yes?" Lieutenant Murray said.

"Yes, Ashton is my friend, He has… Grown very dear to me in these past few days, As I'm sure he has to everyone else."

"You're very well spoken, You know that?"

"Thank you." Weiss said politely.

"But in all seriousness, He is your friend?"

"Yes."

"Well, Clearly from your physical reaction when I mentioned him you want more than a friendship, But I'm not here to play relationship counselor." Lieutenant Murray paused after watching Weiss's face turn red. "Taking into account your feelings towards him, What I'm about to ask you to do may sound hard."

"What might that be?" Weiss asked after she regained her composure.

"I am asking that you, Among others, Avoid contact with Sergeant Dommer and PFC Arc for the remainder of the UNSC operation against the Covenant here on Remnant."

Weiss's eyes went wide. "What!?" She exclaimed.

"I was expecting that reaction, But I have good reason for asking this."

"Well? What's your 'good reason' then?" Weiss asked annoyed.

"It's quite simple, You, Among others, Are a distraction to both Sergeant Dommer and PFC Arc."

"A distraction?"

"Yes, A distraction. You cause unnecessary distraction to Sergeant Dommer, Whom I need to be at the top of his focus at all times for accurate field testing, His own benefit, And for the benefit of UNSC personnel he is working with in the field."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, And I don't know how much simpler I have to be, You and others by interacting with him are weighing on his mind, By doing so he is not acting at his top performance, One of the reasons I selected him for this program. This puts him in danger in the field and also endangers any UNSC personnel working with him." Lieutenant Murray said as she ran her fingers across her desk and took another sip of her drink, Weiss was visibly distressed by this request. "Miss Schnee, I'm not saying you can never talk to him again, Just for the remainder of the current battle with the Covenant."

"And how long will that take?"

"How long? At most, A week. By then we should all be dead, Or we'll have somehow neutralized the Covenant forces here on Remnant."

"Are the odds really that stacked against us."

"I'm not going to lie, Yes they are. Another reason I need him operating at his maximum performance… Look, From the few days you've spent with him, He probably doesn't seem like it, Miss Schnee. But I can assure you, Sergeant Ashton Dommer, At his core, Is a killing machine. Cold and calculating, Always thinking of how to bring down the next thing placed in his path labeled as enemy."

"He's a good person though." Weiss said, She took Lieutenant Murray's comment about how he was a killing machine as if it was a personal insult.

"I have no doubt he is a good human being, But he is also a killing machine, A weapon, He is exactly what I… What we need him to be." Lieutenant Murray caught herself. "It won't be long, Miss Schnee."

"Well… What if I refuse to comply with your request?" Weiss asked.

"Now now, You wouldn't do that, Would you? You seem like a very reasonable young woman, Miss Schnee."

"Well, What if I became unreasonable?"

Lieutenant Murray sighed. "If you so choose to not comply with my request of refraining from interaction with Sergeant Dommer and PFC Arc until the current UNSC Military Operation here on Remnant has ended then I will simply have Naval Masters at Arms, Also known as Military Police, Keep you on lockdown until the operation ends."

"Ashton wouldn't like that… He didn't like it when armed Marines were sent to retrieve him, He nearly killed two, How do you think he would react to finding out his friends were being kept under armed guard?"

"He wont find out, Miss Schnee. He'll simply believe all of you are avoiding him."

"He's not that stupid…"

"Miss Schnee! I'm going to inform you, For your sake right now, I've already talked to every single one of your friends, Each of them has agreed to my request and did so willingly, Do you really want to be the only one who has to spend time locked up?"

"Well… We were already going to be going down to the planet to help in this offensive operation at Atlas."

"Well, Miss Schnee. As much as you and your friends interest in making an effort to influence the tide of battle is appreciated, It is not necessary and is not required."

"Bu-" Weiss was cut off as Lieutenant Murray slammed her fist down on her desk.

"Don't give me 'but' anything! I'm going to ask you one more time, Should you refuse I have two Masters at Arms on standby to collect you." Lieutenant Murray paused as she calmed down. "Now then, Miss Schnee, Do you agree to avoid contact with Sergeant Dommer and PFC Arc for the remainder of the UNSC Military Operation here on Remnant?"

Weiss looked down at the ground in defeat, There was nothing she could do. "Yes… I agree." She said sullenly.

"Good… Good." Lieutenant Murray paused. "Thank you, Miss Schnee, That will… That will be all, Thank you for your time." Lieutenant Murray said as she motioned towards the door with her hand.

Weiss stood up and slowly made her way out, She paused in the doorframe. "Bitch... " She muttered under her breath, That's how angry she was, She surprised herself as she walked down the hall, She had gotten so angry she had resorted to a very… Well… Ashton level of language.

"_She thinks she'll get away with crossing a Schnee…"_ Weiss thought to herself. _"She has no idea what I'm capable of… I get what I want."_

**Sergeant Ashton Dommer, July 18th -, Atlas, Remnant**

"Fuckin' bored…" Ashton muttered to himself. He had awoken early and decided to switch watch shifts with Jaune then and there. The night from that point seemed pretty boring. There was fighting to be heard in the distance, Groups of ODSTs engaged with Covenant forces. Of course, To Ashton's dismay, None of this fighting was taking place involving him. That Grunt that survived earlier and had made off never came back with any backup. Worst of all, Apparently there were Grimm in the area, But apparently in Ashton's words he was in to much of a 'good fucking mood' for them to be interested in bothering him or something.

"Shut up." Jaune said, He was curled up on the floor trying to sleep.

"I'm just saying… You know, Jaune? I was kind of looking forward to that thing at least bringing back a Wraith or something."

"What's a Wraith?"

"Well if it had come back with one, You would have gotten to find out, Now wouldn't you?"

"I think I can live the rest of my life content with not knowing what a Wraith is."

"And why's that?" Ashton asked as he rolled over on his side to look at Jaune.

"Because if you were looking forward to one showing up, It probably means it could kill both of us, Now let me sleep, Ash."

"True, True… And fine…" Ashton muttered as he rolled back over and took up the SRS, He scanned the empty streets and buildings for what felt like the ninetieth time when suddenly a loud BOOM rocked the street.

"Ash!" Jaune yelled.

"I swear to baby buddha, I didn't do anythi- Holy shit…"

"First off," Jaune said as he sat up. "What the heck is a baby buddha, Secondly, What do you mean holy sh-... Oh crap."

"Well… I said I was bored… But this is a little more than what I was asking for." Ashton said as the Scarab crawled down the street. Jaune immediately crawled up to where Ashton was.

"Do you think they're hunting us?" Jaune whispered, The fear was in his voice clearly.

"Specifically? No. But they know there are multiple enemy units in the area, Which includes us, So… I guess in a way they are hunting us."

"I only caught a glimpse of one of those things back in Vale… I never really figured how big it was until now…" Jaune whispered.

"Yeah, They're big." Ashton commented as it fired a shot from it's main cannon into a building, A large portion of the side of the building that was hit fell off in a cloud of smoke.

"Ash! You seeing this!?" Garcia whisper yelled as he poked his head up the staircase.

"Yeah, I'm seeing it." Ashton said.

"Well… What are we gonna do about that thing?" Jaune asked.

"What're we gonna do about it? Well we gotta take it down, Jauney boy." Ashton said as he scoped in the SRS,

"Wait, What?" Jaune processed that information. "We can't attack a spire, But we can attack that thing."

"That thing is a lot simpler to neutralize." Ashton said, He was starting to focus on the task in front of him. His aim drifted over the multiple Grunts on Plasma turrets across the deck of the Scarab, A Brute was walking around giving orders, A few Jackals armed with Carbines were also patrolling the deck. The Scarab was headed in their direction, Which was exactly what Ashton needed.

"Define… simpler."

"Well, To bring down that spire, We'd need a lot of ordnance, Which we don't have, Or we'd have to get to the top of that heavily defended spire, Which doubles as both a forward command center and a teleporter, And deactivate it. Killing a scarab is sooo much simpler, All we have to do is get aboard and kill the crew."

"Somehow… I don't believe it's all that simple." Jaune sighed.

Ashton settled his aim on one of the Grunts as the Scarab started to make it's way past the building they were in. "This should get their attention, Get ready to jump, Jaune."

"Wait, What?" Jaune said as Ashton took the shot, The impact from the bullet alone sent the small creature careening off the edge. Ashton adjusted his aim and fired on one of the Jackals patrolling the deck, The impact from the round sent it flying into the metallic purple wall behind it before it slid down into a pool of it's own blood.

"Garcia, Light it up." Ashton said as he turned on his comms, He fired another shot which threw a Grunt into a Jackal, Both fell off the edge.

"Roger that." Garcia said over the comms, Suddenly a rocket flew out from one of the floors below them and slammed into the side of the crew deck. Several Grunts were caught in the blast and killed instantly.

"Jump time, Jauney boy." Ashton said as he got up and readied his rifle.

"What? Ashton that's a three storey DROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!" Jaune yelled as Ashton pushed him over the edge, He followed soon after him.

Jaune landed flat on the deck, His shielding flared up as it took most of the damage, Ashton hit the deck and went into a paratroopers roll, His shields flared up significantly less. As soon as Ashton recovered he brought his rifle to aim and fired a quick two round burst into a Jackal that was advancing on them.

"ASH! STOP DOING THAT!" Jaune finally yelled once he recovered. "SERIOUSLY!"

"Sorry." Ashton said as he fired another burst. "But you don't seem to like jumping, So I have to push you."

"WELL STO-"

"Check your six." Ashton cut him off as he fired a burst next to Jaune's head, A grunt that was coming up behind him slumped over dead. "Please start shooting your rifle, PFC, That's an order." Ashton casually said as he started advancing up the deck of the Scarab. Jaune never really saw him in such a mood before. He was more robotic than anything.

But, Regardless of how Ashton was acting, Jaune did as asked. He brought his MA5K up to his shoulder and began advancing in the same direction as Ashton. Jaune could hear the aliens yelling as they tried to regain coordination due to this sudden surprise attack on their vehicle. Jaune came around a slight turn, As he did so, The Brute that was in charge of the Scarab charged Ashton who simply sidestepped it. But now it was coming right for Jaune, He tensed up his arms and fired the MA5K at full auto, Each round impacted with the ape like creatures chest. At first there was no visible effect, But soon each round caused it's chest to jerk around a little, What happened next took Jaune by surprise. Just as he was sure the creature would be on top of him and throw him off of the Scarab, Or rip him limb from limb, It appeared Ashton tackled it from behind as it fell over in a heap on it's stomach with Ashton on top of it, Machete in hand. Ashton began chopping away at the poor creatures head and neck area, Over and over again.

"Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!" Ashton yelled every time he brought his blade down, Suddenly reminding Jaune of what exactly it was other people inside of the UNSC called him. Two Jackals rounded the small corner, Coming up a ramp of some kind. Jaune put the rest of the ammo in his MA5K to work, The first Jackal dropped with ease and fell over onto the second one, But this made killing the second one slightly more difficult as it began using it's comrades dead body as a meat shield. Eventually a few of the bullets pierced through the first body and killed the second Jackal.

Jaune was finally able to take a moment and catch his breath, That was… Until he looked over at Ashton, He was still on top of the Brute and hacking away at it. Jaune almost vomited when he saw the gruesome progress Ashton had made, The back of the creatures head had been cut up to the point it was unrecognizable, Bits of flesh and brain hanging out, Ashton was beginning to carve up the creatures back when Jaune put a hand on his shoulder. Ashton swung around ready to attack when he realised who it was. He looked from Jaune to his handiwork and then back to Jaune, He let out a laugh and then got up and went back to advancing up the deck.

"Ash, Wait up!" Jaune called after him as he disappeared down the ramp. "Where are you goi- Whoa…"

Ashton was standing in front of some kind of energy shield, Something was pulsating behind it.

"What's that?" Jaune asked.

"Something that's about to get blown up…" Ashton said blankly as he took out an explosive charge, He placed it at the foot of the energy shield and dragged Jaune back around the corner, There was a boom and a cloud of black smoke as Ashton went back down below. With the shielding gone whatever the pulsating thing was had been exposed, Jaune watched as Ashton prepped a frag grenade and threw it in there. The much smaller explosion went off and suddenly there was a deafening siren of some kind going off. "Come on, Jaune, We're leaving." Ashton said calmly as he dragged Jaune again, This time to the edge of the platform.

"Wait, What? No not again."

"Yes, Again. Tally ho." Ashton said as he pushed Jaune off of the Scarab before jumping off himself. Both of them landed in a pile of rubble on the street. "No time to sit around Jaune, Get moving." Ashton said as he took off at a jogging pace.

"Hey! Ash! What did I just say about pushing me off of heights!? Get back here!" Jaune said as he jogged off after him. "Where do you think you're going, Ash! Get back he-" They had made it up about a block before Jaune was cut off by a deafening explosion. The shockwave threw Jaune to the ground and he rolled over on his back to see the Scarab had gone up in a giant purple fireball. Ashton had taken cover behind some more rubble and walked over to Jaune who was still on the ground.

"Appreciate me pushing you now?"

"Okay… So there are some times a little push is okay… Are we done?" Jaune asked as the first sun rays hit him in the face, His visor polarized to compensate for that.

"You kidding?" Ashton laughed, He was going back to normal a bit. "We're just getting started…"

**A/N: There we go, Chapter nine down, The UNSC offensive has begun. I'm so terribly sorry that this was not uploaded in November, But I just needed to take a break from writing, It ends up taking a lot out of me when I write a chapter or two every month. Anyway, I got it up as early in December as I could, So here it is, Until next time, Enjoy.**


	10. Act 1, Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Halo they are respectively owned by Rooster Teeth and 343 Industries**

(Text / Speech)

**(Flashbacks / Author Notes / Video Recordings)**

_(Thoughts)_

**Chapter 10: All Fall Down**

**Sergeant Ashton Dommer, July 19th -, Atlas, Remnant**

"Son of a bitch!" Ashton yelled as plasma fire raked the piece of rubble he was taking cover behind.

"We got another Phantom inbound!" Garcia yelled out, Firing his BR55.

"JAUNE! GET ON THE DAMN SRS AND TAKE OUT THE DOOR GUNNER!" Ashton yelled, The Grunt on the door gun really had it out for him, Ashton was pinned down tight.

"O-on it!" Jaune stammered as he slide from cover to cover before taking up the rifle, He did just as Ashton had shown him and held his breath right before pulling the trigger. The bullet left the barrel with a loud CRACK and then BOOM, It sailed through the air and slammed right into the Grunt's chest and sending the creature flying back into the troop bay.

"Now we're talking!" Ashton exclaimed as he popped out of cover and fired a burst of fire from his XM395 as the troop doors opened, Two jackals fell out dead.

"Chieftain!" An ODST yelled as the Brute dropped to the ground, Hamer in tow.

"Light him up, Marines!" Ashton yelled, He fired the remaining rounds in his magazine.

An ODST with a SAW was closest to the Brute and was the first to fall, She had given it her all, Firing full automatic as the creature charged her but was crushed under the hammer into a bloody mess.

"Fucker!" Garcia yelled, The Marines began concentrating their fire more densely on the Chieftain. While they weren't breaking his shields yet, The impact from all the rounds was causing the creature to start to stumble.

The Chieftain realising it's mistake of staying out in the open too long took a mad dash forward, Straight towards Jaune.

"Jaune heads up!" Ashton yelled as he tossed a grenade directly at his position, The Chieftain jumped into the air and prepared to bring it's hammer down on Jaune.

Jaune paused only for a moment to process the information, He dived out of the way as the grenade hit the ground at his feet with a clink. The Chieftain's hammer slammed down into the ground, The force of the gravity blast barely missing him, Along with the ensuing explosion from the grenade sent Jaune flying into a nearby wall.

The Chieftain was hurled back, It's shields had broken and there was shrapnel embedded in it's face as the explosion tore off it's helmet. It let out a roar of pain as it writhed on the ground, The hot metal stuck in it's face.

"On your feet," Ashton ordered the other Marines. "Garcia check Jaune, The rest of you, Mop up."

With that the Marines spread out, Putting two bullets into any of the Covenant that were still alive after the firefight. The Phantom had broken off after two ODSTs fired a set of rockets at it. Ashton walked over to the Chieftain, Still writhing in it's pain.

"Dumb shit…" Ashton muttered as he took out his machete.

"Go… Ahead… Human… I've… Earned… My… Place…"

"Yeah yeah, Earned your place on the path to the great journey, Heard it before." Ashton cut the creature off as he kicked it in the head, It began to speak again but Ashton brought his machete down it's throat before it could continue. He took off his helmet and watched as it began coughing up blood before finally dying.

"Ashton!" Garcia called out his name, Causing Ashton to turn around.

"Yeah!?"

"Get over here!"

Ashton walked over at a casual place, Garcia had taken Jaune's helmet off and his eyes were closed.

"He's not… You know…?"

"No, He's alive, Shielding saved him, Just unconscious."

"Good, Best not to move him, Main force should begin their attack within in the hour so we'll hold here. Monitor him for me, Alright?"

"Roger." Garcia said as he shifted Jaune into a more comfortable position.

Ashton took off to place down a beacon that would mark their position once the main attack force entered the area, They were going to need to resupply their ammo and MEDEVAC their wounded. After they took out the Scarab, Ashton, Jaune, Garcia, and the two other ODSTs began falling back away from the Spire. As they moved they came across two other groups of ODSTs and stuck together. For the remainder of the night they were engaged in firefight after firefight, Sustaining few casualties thankfully.

As Ashton climbed up the rubble that was the side of a low building he couldn't help but think how the girls were doing. _"Definitely having a better time than I am right about now."_ He settled on that thought as he got up to the roof. He stared out as the sun was rising up, Only confirming to him in the light how war torn the city was. From how Weiss described the place to him before he left this was such a nicer place. The Covenant would pay for the things they had done, He already despised them for what they did to his world, But even more innocent people were dying now from other worlds.

Ashton spit in disgust as he placed down the beacon. _"Well, Whatever they're doing… I should see them soon enough."_ Ashton made one final thought before heading back down to get to ground level.

**Weiss Schnee, July 19th -, UNSC Cerberus in High Orbit over Remnant**

Weiss stormed into the barracks room where they were all staying, Her fury clearly evident on her face. Her teammates were there as well as Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora.

"So she finally talked to you I guess?" Blake asked

"Yes!" Weiss exclaimed. "When did she go faffing on about all that crap where we can't talk to Ashton to all of you!?"

"A little after you left to shower…" Blake said flatly.

"Well! UGH!" She threw her arms into the air.

"Well… I guess there goes the plan of heading down to the surface." Ren said.

"Ashton and Jaune should be fine." Pyrrha said. "Both of them are capable warriors."

"Jaune? Capable?" Yang said as she stifled her laughter.

"Believe it or not, Yang. Jaune can handle himself, Going through that procedure and the small training in shooting Ashton gave him has only made him better." Pyrrha said annoyed.

"Right, Right, Whatever." Yang said waving her off. "Moving on, We need to think of what we're going to do."

"Well…" Ruby said. "I think we need to do what the lady asked us to do, She did make a good point… And if we disobey she'll lock us up."

"I don't care what she says, We're going!" Weiss yelled, It quickly became apparent to everyone how strongly she felt on this.

"Er… Weiss, I want to get down there just as bad as you do but uh… We need our weapons." Yang cut in.

"I might be able to help with that." A familiar voice called from the doorway.

"Sun!" Ruby exclaimed, They hadn't seen him for a while.

"Sup, Red." He said as he let himself in. "So you guys are really planning on going down there?"

"Yes." Weiss said firmly. "Now more than ever."

"Well then it's real simple on how to get your weapons back, But you're gonna have to do it right before it's time for you to leave."

"How're we getting them back?" Yang asked.

"Stealing them of course!" He said with a grin.

"It always comes back to stealing with you…" Blake said.

"Hey, Don't be like that. Do you want your weapons back or not?"

"It'd be nice." Yang said.

"Good, Here's what you're gonna do. A few minutes before it's time to leave, One of you will distract the guards at the armory, Then I'll you know… Knock them out, Then you'll grab your weapons and make a run for the ship thingys before anyone notices what's happened."

"That's a little risky…" Ruby said doubtfully.

"So crazy it might work?" Sun pushed.

"Crazy that it might get us locked up, Or shot more likely." Ren said.

"It's our best option though." Weiss said.

"So we're going through with this then?" Sun asked enthusiastically.

"I guess." Yang responded.

"Great!" He paused as if remembering something. "Oh yeah, When I heard you guys were in the market for getting your weapons back I offered Nep to come with, But he didn't wanna, Go figure, So I won't be coming with you guys down there. Alright?"

"Right." Weiss said as she quietly sighed with a bit of relief. "Let's get ready to do this."

"Well, We're gonna have to act soon." Ruby said. "I checked before she talked to us, First wave of their assault is leaving in ten minutes."

"To the armory then." Sun said, The small group followed after him as he left.

After wasting two minutes walking through the halls of the ship, Sun stopped at a corner. As they peaked around they could see that it was guarded by two Marines, Each had an MA5 rifle in their hands and they were in full combat gear.

"Okay," Sun paused. "So distractions?"

"We could all rush them?" Ruby said.

"No, Too obvious."

"Oh please, Leave this to me." Yang said as she stood up from the little huddle.

Yang walked around the corner and began approaching the two Marines. When one of them told her to stop where she was she laughed playfully and kept approaching. She swung her hips as she walked before stopping in front of the Marine.

"Hey, What are you boys doing out here all by your lonesome?" She asked with a giggle as she leaned in close.

"None of your business, Girlie. Why don't you run on back where you came from."

"Awww, That's no way to treat a lady." Yang said as she started to run her fingers up his chest armor.

"Yeah man, You gotta treat a girl nice." The other Marine said as he put his arm around Yang.

"Stop thinking with your dick, Jared." The first Marine said, As he did this Yang threw a thumbs up behind her back, Sun took the signal and came running around the corner. Yang quickly threw the second Marines arm off of her and punched the one in front of her in the face, By the time the second one reacted Sun was on top of him and knocked him out with a flurry of blows.

"Both of you were wrong." Yang commented as she stuck her tongue out at the two unconscious Marines.

"In we go, Looks like it needs a hand scan." Sun said as he picked up the first Marine's arm and placed it down onto the scanner.

The door slid open with a hiss and the rest of the teens made their way down the hall quickly and into the armory room where their weapons were being held. They found each of their weapons laid out on a table among racks of various UNSC firearms.

"We only have so much time before someone will realise these guys are unconscious, We need to be fast." Blake said as she picked up Gambol Shroud.

"Agreed." Weiss while sheathing Myrtenaster.

"You guys good?" Sun asked.

"Fantastic," Ruby said. "Thanks for the help." Her mood had improved significantly when she got Crescent Rose back.

"Good, I'm bugging out, Gotta keep an eye on Nep, Good luck you guys." He said as he took off out of the room.

"We should be moving too, Like Blake said, We don't have much time." Ren motioned towards the door as he said this.

The group of teens, Armed with their weapons once again, Made their way through the halls of the ship as fast as they could. The first wave of Pelicans and other aircraft would be leaving very shortly. Eventually they burst through a door into the hangar which was frantic with activity as all the final preflight checks were being performed. The thundering whine of engines filled the air as Marine and Navy personnel which would be participating in the attack.

"There!" Ruby yelled pointing out a Pelican which still had room in the troop bay. They pushed past flight crew as fast as they could getting a few harsh yells and the occasional swing thrown in their direction as they boarded the aircraft just before the ramp closed. Nora was the last one in, Doing a sort of roll and slide as she barely made it, Giggling the entire time.

"We… Made it…" Weiss panted, Out of breath from all the sprinting.

"We sure did!" Ruby exclaimed, Perfectly fine.

"What the fuck is this all about?" A rough voice, Which sounded familiar roared from behind them.

The group of teens turned around to be faced with a reminder that they were still onboard a combat aircraft filled with Marines. Standing at the head of the group of fifteen or so Marines was the hispanic man who was wearing a green hat instead of a helmet when they first met the UNSC… Right after Ashton was shot.

"Er…" Ruby began to say.

"Shut your fuckin' mouth kid, I recognize your dumb asses…" He muttered. "Those fuckin' kids we found when we retrieved that ODST, That's who y'all are, Am I right?"

Ruby nodded in response. "Y-yes." She stammered quickly.

"Well just what the fuck do you think you're doing on my flight, Girly?" The man, Although shorter than average still posed an imposing figure. Especially to Ruby since she wasn't very tall in the first place either. "Well? Care to answer me any day now, Sunshine?"

"We're just headed the same place as you." Weiss finally cut in, The man turned his head violently in her direction.

"Did I speak to you?" He demanded. "Did I?"

"No." Weiss said, She looked towards the floor, This man's attitude was a bit much.

"Damn straight, But since you're so keen on answering questions which weren't meant for ya' let's continue shall we?" He paused as he dropped the cigar that had been in his mouth the floor and stomped it out with his boot. "Now what gives y'all fuckers a right to be jumping on my flight?" He demanded.

"We're just… Headed down there as well…" Yang repeated what Weiss said.

"We got a bunch of fuckin' comedians here don't we?" He let out a loud fake laugh to show his lack of amusement. "One of y'all fuckers pick right now, Who's answering the goddamn questions?"

They all looked back to Weiss again for some reason. She thought a moment before answering. "Me… I guess."

"You guess? Good e-fucking-nough for me, So then humor me girly, Why the fuck have you all just hopped on my flight down to your godforsaken planet?"

Weiss took a deep breath before speaking again. "We hopped onto your flight because we need to get down to the planet, Someone's down there that is… Very dear to all of us."

"Good, Was that so fuckin' hard?" The man prodded. "Not like I can stop you fuckin' kiddies anyway, We're already on our way down."

"Hmmph!" Weiss said as she crossed her arms.

**Sergeant Ashton Dommer, July 19th -, Atlas, Remnant**

As Ashton stared up at the dawn sky, With it's orange tint, He forgot where he was for a few moments. Forgot he was in another world, On a planet being invaded and destroyed by the Covenant.

"Psycho." Garcia called out, Snapping Ashton out of his fantasy.

"Yo?"

"Got another squad just came in, One of 'em wants to talk to ya."

"The hell they want to talk to me for?" Ashton asked as he brought his head in Garcia's direction.

"Well, Sergeant. You're the one in charge here, Duh." Garcia joked.

"Right, Right. Got it." Ashton muttered as he got up and followed Garcia. "So how's the kid doing?" Ashton asked as they walked.

"Jauney boy? He's doing fine. Came to a couple minutes ago, Having him take it easy."

"Good shit." Ashton said as they slid down a bit of rubble to get back on ground level.

Garcia walked Ashton over to a tired looking group of ODSTs.

"This is your guy, Boys." Garcia said before leaving with a nod towards Ashton.

One of them got up and shook Ashton's hand. "So you're the Sergeant in charge here then?"

"Basically, Yeah. How can I help you?"

"Gunnery Sergeant Marcus Dekane. We were part of a platoon tasked with assaulting a Covenant observation post in this sector." The man said as he produced an image of a map.

"Alright?" Ashton asked. "Well where's the rest of your platoon."

"Dead." Gunnery Sergeant Dekane said coldly.

"My apologies…"

"Don't be sorry, You didn't know. Fuckin' LT walked us right into an ambush anyway."

"You serious?"

"Yeah, His exact words were. 'Bypassing an ambush is exactly what the ambushers expect us to do.'. The fuckin' boot son of a bitch got most of the platoon killed in the first five minutes before he froze up and took a Carbine round to the head from a Jackal."

"Damn…" Ashton muttered. "So how can we help? We don't got much left in the way of people ourselves. We're currently waiting for the first wave to hit for resupply and MEDEVAC."

"That's exactly why we're here, Sergeant. I got one man in critical condition, He's gonna need to be on that MEDEVAC, If it's not too much trouble I'm gonna leave him and one of my men with you."

"Not a problem at all, Gunny. Why wont you and the rest of your men be staying?" Ashton asked as the two man walked side by side.

"I'm gonna try and hook us up with another unit from our company that shouldn't be too far from here, Good luck Marine."

"You too." Ashton said as Dekane took what was left of his unit and began off down the street. Ashton then looked down to the two remaining ODSTs on the ground. "And you are?" He asked the one that was conscious.

"Lance Corporal Takashi Maeda." He grunted trying to stand up.

"Don't strain yourself Marine, I'm gonna take your Gunny's word for it that the fighting was pretty bad… So what's wrong with your buddy here, Maeda?"

"He's got a nasty plasma burn and he keeps going in and out of consciousness, I'm not sure he'll make it." Maeda said as he let himself sink back down.

"He'll be fine Marine." Ashton said as he patted the ODST on the shoulder. "We'll be getting that MEDEVAC in about fifteen minutes, So sit tight. You got any questions you come to me or Garcia, Aye?"

"Understood, Sergeant." Maeda said as Ashton began walking away.

Ashton walked around the corner of the low building and went inside to where Garcia had moved Jaune, He was sitting there, Propped against a wall and fiddling with the armor on his wrist.

"How ya feelin', Jauney boy?" Ashton asked as he tapped on the wall next to him to announce his presence.

"I been better, Ash." Jaune said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Been better…"

"Well I got some good news, Jaune. You're on the first bird outta here, You're going back to Cerberus."

"What?"

"MEDEVAC, You ain't in a fighting shape anymore, Jauney boy."

"Are you coming too?"

"Hell no, I ain't done down here. So you get a little time alone with all your buddies alright?" Ashton said as he plopped himself down next to Jaune. "So make the most of it, Alright?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Jaune… We don't have much time left. A few more days and this entire thing is gonna be over, And the odds aren't with us. So… If there's anything you been putting off doing." Ashton paused as he took out his machete and observed it. "I'd do it soon." He finished with a weak smile.

"But we did good last night, We killed so many of the-"

"How many guys did we lose last night though, Jaune?"

"A couple."

"More than a couple, Jaune. We can't afford losses like the Covenant have. You haven't seen the size of the ship they have, The have much more troops than we have. We feel every loss more than they do, And although you may consider the events of last night a success, I'd call that a very minor victory if not a loss."

"Ashton…" Jaune paused. "Where is all this coming from?"

"Jaune, Most of us are never going to see our homes again, You understand that? Some of us because it's impossible, They no longer exist, And some of us because well… I don't think we'll ever be leaving your world. Over one hundred and fifty ODSTs entered this city last night, Jaune. For most of them this is the last place they ever saw."

"I still don't see where this is coming from, Ashton."

"I think I'm coming to reality is all, Jaune… I mean think of how many times I went toe to toe with Death and came out alright, But eventually my number's gonna get picked…"

"Come on, Ash. That's not the you I know, Don't think like that." Jaune said as he placed a hand on Ashton's shoulder. "You're supposed to be the strong one, You know that? I'm the one who should be saying things like what you're saying."

"I'm just saying Jaune… Make the most of it when you get back up there, Give everyone my regards… I think I'm gonna get in a nap."

"I don't blame you, I'll keep a watch in here." Jaune said as he leaned over and picked up his rifle.

"Thanks…" Ashton muttered as he closed his eyes.

**Weiss Schnee, July 19th -, Atlas, Remnant**

"Whoa…" Ruby's jaw dropped as the ramp on the Pelican came down.

The Marines inside pushed past the group of teens. "Try not to get in the fucking way…" One muttered.

"Rude…" Weiss muttered back as soon as the Marine was out of earshot.

The group of teens made their way off the aircraft, They were in the middle of all the hustle of a UNSC FOB. Men and women were running around transporting ammunition and supplies, Combat teams were being dispatched or resupplied via Pelican or Warthog, A pair of Scorpion tanks took off through the main entrance after being filled with ammunition.

"Oh my god, What is that thing?" Yang asked in awe as a Mark IX Armor Defense System stomped it's way past them. Painted on the side of it's cockpit were the words 'Strainja Dainja'.

"So Ashton's been hiding a few toys from us then?" Blake asked.

"It would appear so." Pyrrha agreed.

"Speaking of Ashton, We need to work on finding him and Jaune." Weiss said. "So… Ideas?"

"You mean you hadn't thought of anything? After you know… Going against that woman and dragging all of us down here?" Ren asked in disbelief.

"Well… No…"

"Why don't we ask one of these people, They seem nice." Nora said as she began to skip over to a group of people in armor different from the regular Marines and ODSTs they had seen. Before any of them could stop Nora after realising who those people were it was too late. "Hello!" Nora exclaimed to the first one, A man with a shaved head, He was sitting on top of a crate with a shotgun in his hand, He gave Nora a strange look before recognizing her and letting out a hysterical laugh.

"Hey! Guys look, It's one of those fuckin' kids we saved." He said between laughs, Eventually he looked where the confused Nora was looking back at her friends and broke out into more laughter. "It's all of them!"

The one next to him, A woman with short hair and a rifle at her feet was less amused. "Cut it, Mitchell." She said as she went back to tending her armor.

"Uhm…" Nora continued to pester them "So… Could you help us find our friend."

The one with the shotgun almost died laughing again. "Your friend!? Who's your friend!?"

"Oh, Our friend is Ashton, He's really nice… But he can be scary, So he's nice in a scary way? Anyway, We're looking for him and were wondering if you'd seen him, Because you know he works for the same people as you and he is already down here, So we were just wondering is all." Nora blabbed on and on.

The Spartan with the Shotgun that went by the name Mitchell continued to die of laughter and fell off the crate he was sitting on. "Wait wait wait, You mean that ODST guy that was dying when we had to save all of you? You're looking for him?" He continued to laugh, It was getting obnoxious, Even to his fellow Spartans.

Pyrrha came running over and grabbed Nora. "I am so sorry for her."

"Don't be." A third Spartan said as he kicked the one named Mitchell on the floor. "Shut your fucking trap."

Pyrrha took a step back as this third Spartan was wearing his helmet she wasn't sure if he was talking to her or the one on the floor for a moment.

"Not you." The Spartan reassured her by kicking Mitchell again. "This fucknut." After finally getting Mitchell to be quiet the third Spartan took off his helmet, He had blue eyes and dark blonde hair, His face had a scar running down his left cheek and although he was clearly young he appeared aged. "I'm Chief Petty Officer Daniel Mochano, How can I help you?"

"Well, As she said, We're looking for our friends, Ashton and Jaune." Pyrrha paused. "They were put down here last night and we were given permission to come down here so we could help them." Pyrrha looked away as she said the last part, She didn't like lying, Mochano didn't seem to notice though, Or if he did he didn't show it.

"Hmm, Well any idea what unit they were with?" He asked.

Pyrrha's head perked up. "Weiss should know, Hold on." She turned around. "Weiss! What unit thing were Ashton and Jaune in?" Pyrrha called out.

Weiss came over. "I remember Ashton telling me he was in the… First Recon something something, Can't remember the entire title."

The female Spartan covered her lips when hearing this and let out an audible. "Oooh."

"What's so bad?" Weiss asked.

"Nothing." The female Spartan paused. "It's just that…. From the casualty reports we got…"

"First Recon was hit pretty bad." Mochano cut in. "From what we heard their drop was a mess, They were scattered all over the city. Finding your friends could be a bit challenging."

"First Recon got fucked up." Mitchell said from the floor, He was met with another kick to the chest from Mochano.

.

"What my buddy is trying to say." Mochano cut in after seeing the looks of horror on Weiss and Pyrrha's faces. "If we were gonna be able to find your friends I'm gonna need a unit a bit more specific since they're so scattered. Got a squad number? Platoon? Hell, Even a Company would give you a general area to search in."

"No... " Weiss said. "Don't know anything like that, All I remember was he mentioned First Recon."

"Wait!" Pyrrha suddenly exclaimed. "Weiss! They're in that thing where they've got those special suits, Remember?"

"Oh yeah!"

"Special sui- Are you guys talking about the ODST GEN 2 program?" Moochano asked.

"Yes! That's what it's called!" Weiss said, She had gotten a bit excited.

The female Spartan typed something into a datapad she had before looking over to Mochano. "How long until the Commander gets down here?"

"She's delayed. She'll be down with the second wave."

"We can transport them then, We got time, I know where to find them."

"Of course you do, Ella." Mochano muttered. "Alright, So do you kids wanna know where to find your buddies or what?"

"Yes, Please." Pyrrha and Weiss said together.

"Then tell your friends to follow us, We can drive you there, But you should be on your toes. Map says they're in grid G7 and that's a pretty bad part of town…" Mochano said as he motioned for them to follow. Pyrrha told the others to come with them while Weiss followed close behind him.

"So how're we getting to them?" She asked.

"Driving of course. Hope you like bumpy rides."

"Bump- Oh…" Weiss said as the Spartan patted the hood of a Warthog.

"Oh I've seen this before!" Ruby exclaimed from behind Weiss causing her to jump. "One of these was in that video we saw, It had a machinegun on it that was all like 'BRRRRRRRRRT ATATATATATATATATATATA'!"

"Not this one." Mochano said, The tone of his voice didn't show whether he found Ruby's interpretation of the LAAG's sound humorous or annoying. "This is a transport version, Meant for carrying personnel."

"Oh." Ruby said.

"So load in." Mochano reassured the group of teens who did not seem too keen on getting into the UNSC vehicle. "It's perfectly safe, I'm a certified combat driver… And by that I mean I have a bit of experience driving this thing under the worst possible conditions, So get in."

The teens piled into the back of the truck one by one while the other two Spartans got in front, Ella sitting in the passenger seat, Mochano driving, Mitchell hanging off the roll cage on Ella's side.

"So what's these guys to you kids anyway?" Mochano asked.

"Well, The one named Jaune was a friend of ours before all this happened." Ruby said as she leaned forward.

"He lead the team Nora, Pyrrha, and I were on." Ren said as he pointed out the two girls.

"No shit? They made a guy from your world into an ODST?"

"Yeah… It's kind of hard to believe…" Pyrrha said.

"He must be pretty brave."

The teens looked at eachother, Processing the the words Jaune and brave being put together for a moment and each making their own conclusions.

"I guess…" Ruby said.

"He is." Pyrrha defended him. "He's brave, And a good leader."

"I'll take your word for it then." Mochano said as he turned down a road, They passed several burnt out cars, Bodies strewn about, The Warthog drove over one with a crunch causing several of them to grimace.

"And the other?" Ella asked.

"Ashton's… Different…" Yang said.

"Oh?"

"Long story."

"We got time… It's a car ride."

"Well…"

**Private First Class Jaune Arc, July 19th -, Atlas, Remnant**

Jaune sat opposite of Ashton, Watching him sleep. Ashton was a strange guy to Jaune, But he respected him and appreciated his friendship. Which was why it concerned him to see Ashton in his current state, The guy had been transported to another world, Stabbed, Beaten, Shot up. Yet he was still headstrong and had what seemed like an unbreakable fighting spirit.

But now he was giving Jaune this talk about he he was coming to terms with reality, That things were looking bleak. If Ashton was questioning the point of fighting, Jaune thought, It really does have to be bad.

Jaune was about to get up when an ODST walked in.

"Er, Excuse me?" He asked.

Jaune looked up realising the ODST was talking to him. "Yeah?"

"Uhm… I'm Lance Corporal Maeda."

"Yeah?"

"Uhm… I'm looking for Sergeant… Sergeant…"

"Dommer?"

"Yes, Him! He told me if I had any questions to come ask him."

Jaune pointed to the sleeping Ashton across the room. "There he is… But I wouldn't wake him."

"Why?"

"He can be a bit cranky when he wakes up."

"This is kind of importa-" Maeda was cut off as an explosion suddenly rocked the ground. "Son of a bitch what was that?!"

"Hey, Ash!" Jaune started to call out before he saw that Ashton was already up and moving, He forgot things like this weren't new to him. Ashton was already halfway out the door by the time Jaune got his helmet on.

The ground shook again as another plasma mortar impacted nearby, Someone was screaming for a corpsman. Jaune looked around as another one of the blue balls of flaming death impacted the ground, He saw two men get caught in the blast as they were instantly vaporized. Jaune was about to open his mouth when he suddenly felt something drag him to the ground.

"Keep your head down, Idiot." Ashton muttered as another plasma mortar impacted. "There may not be shrapnel but the heat'll still fuck you up."

"Ash, The hell's going on?" Jaune asked.

"From the intensity of the barrage, We can expect an attack on our position soon, So get ready." Ashton said as he peaked up over the edge of the low wall they were behind.

"Sergeant!" Maeda yelled as he slid into the same piece of cover as them.

"What do you need, Lance Corporal?" Ashton asked without looking away.

"Well… I guess it's not relevant anymore, I was gonna ask about that MEDEVAC."

"Consider it as a hot extract as of now, Marine." Ashton said as he pulled his head down.

"We got incoming." Jaune pointed out an incoming Spirit dropship.

"Right, Get ready." Ashton switched to his comms. "Garcy, You reading me?"

"Gotcha." Garcia responded over the comm.

"Spirit inbound."

"I seen 'em, We don't have anymore rockets."

"Understood, Keep your head down then, We'll have to weather the infantry attack." Ashton said as he cut his comms.

As the explosions from the incoming plasma mortars ceased the Spirit did one final pass overhead before coming to a halt, The two doors on each side dropped down as all 30 of the occupants jumped out.

Ashton leaned up over the low wall again and began firing his rifle, Nailing a grunt in the chest. The impact from the shot sent the creature spinning before it's lifeless body hit the ground. A SAW gunner opened up from the second floor, Slowly the rest of the ODSTs began firing their weapons and the Covenant were engulfed in a hail of gunfire.

Jaune stood up and fired his MA5K at a pair of Jackals but was forced back down when his shots only hit their shields and they returned fire. Ashton yelled at him as the needles raked the wall behind them.

"Head down, Dumbass!" Ashton then went back to firing, He nailed one of the Jackals in it's leg which caused it to fall over. It's comrade dropped the needler in it's hand and began dragging the wounded Jackal around the corner.

Garcia's voice came over the comm. "Inbound, Two Phantoms"

"Roger that." Ashton said as he cut down another Grunt. "What's the status on that MEDEVAC?"

"Three mikes." Garcia responded. "I'll direct them in, Gonna need you to cool the LZ down a bit."

"Rog, Me and the kid are on it." Ashton responded before shutting off his comm. "Alright, Jaune up and at 'em." Ashton pounded on Jaune's helmet with his fist to get his attention.

"Got it." Jaune said, He stood up and ran over to a support pillar, When he got there he fired a burst from his MA5K and took out a Grunt.

"Sergeant!" Maeda yelled out suddenly, Ashton had forgotten the young Marine was there for a moment, Smoke was coming out of his MA5C's barrel show Ashton he had just recently fired a burst. "Orders!?"

"On me, Marine. Let's go!" Ashton yelled as he fired a few shots while running across the yard.

The three of them, Ashton, Jaune, and Maeda kept bounding across the yard, Providing covering fire or shifting position, Until they got into an adjacent building. A dead Brute lay at the entrance. They took cover inside as the Pelican for the MEDEVAC came in.

"Finally!" Ashton yelled. "Maeda, Get your wounded man in there we'll cover you."

The ODSTs provided covering fire and mopped up any Covenant in sight as a few of them loaded the wounded into the Pelican. After his rifle ran out of ammo Ashton switched to his pistol instead of reloading, He walked out into the open with Jaune.

"This is your ride, Jauney boy." Ashton said as he pushed him towards the aircraft.

"Come on, Ash. Don't make me-" Jaune was cut off as a plasma bolt seared past their heads, Jaune ducked down, Ashton remained standing.

"See? Even THEY want you to go." Ashton said as he casually fired a few shots in the direction the bolt came from. "This ain't the place to be arguing Jaune get o-" Ashton himself was cut off as the Pelican suddenly rocked violently.

"We're hit." The pilot's voice crackled in over the Comm. The aircraft lifted up into the air, they could all see the smoke coming out of the left engine. "I'm losing her."

Ashton pushed Jaune to the ground before throwing himself down. "Watch it!" The Pelican came back towards the ground, It's nose skimming the concrete for a minute before lifting up and flying just above Ashton and Jaune.

"Get her out of here." Garcia's voice crackled in.

"Trying, I just lost hydraulics." The pilot said calmly as she tried to keep control of the situation. "Gonna try to bring her down gentl-" The pilot was cut off as a plasma mortar impacted the aircraft.

"Wraith!" Ashton yelled out as the vehicle came in to view, It was flanked by two others.

The Pelican jerked a bit before slamming right into one of the nearby buildings in a fireball.

"Oh God…" Jaune said as the explosion rocked the ground, The blast from threw Jaune, Ashton, and Maeda back.

"GOD DAMMIT!" Ashton yelled he grabbed at a nearby M7S and picked it up firing at a few Jackals as the fell back.

One of the Wraiths fired another plasma mortar as the turret gunner opened up causing Ashton to get into cover, Jaune and Maeda quickly followed suit.

"How're we gonna take those out, Sarge?" Maeda asked.

As if some divine force was watching to answer Maeda's question one of the Wraith's suddenly went up in a purple fireball. Maeda looked to Ashton with his jaw hanging down.

Ashton depolarized his visor so Maeda could see his face. "If you honestly think I did that…" Ashton said sarcastically as a second Wraith exploded. "Right, I'm moving up, Gonna finish off the infantry." Ashton said calmly as he picked up a magazine for the M7S and reloaded, He ran off over a pile of rubble after the group of Jackals that fell back.

"Should we… Follow him?" Maeda asked.

"No." Garcia suddenly said as he slid into cover beside them. "He's just blowing off steam, Focus on the last Wrai-" Garcia was cut off as the final Wraith was suddenly caught and encased in ice. "The fuck…?"

"Oh I think that answers who was taking them out…" Jaune said in a bit of disbelief.

They watched as a Spartan suddenly umped on top of the stuck Wraith, They shot the Grunt manning the turret mounted plasma gun in the face with a pistol before punching the drivers hatch open and killing the driver.

"Spartans can do that!?" Maeda exclaimed.

"No…" Jaune said as he took off his helmet. "But I know who can."

Jaune watched in a bit of disbelief as he watched a few of his friends come around the corner, He slumped over and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. They were being escorted by three Spartans in grey armor. Nora was the first to spot him, Suddenly jumping up and running over as fast as she could. She practically squeezed the life out of him. Then Pyrrha, Then Ruby.

"What… Are…. You…. Doing here…." Jaune was able to cough out as he choked on the lack of air.

"To find you two of course!" Ruby exclaimed.

"That's great but… Didn't Ash tell you guys to stay up there?"

"He did." Yang let a big smile cross her face. "Never said we were gonna listen."

"I'll take it this is one of your friends then." Mochano said.

"Yes." Blake said. "This is one of them."

Mochano looked Jaune over before sticking out his large armored hand to help him up. "I'll take it I can leave them with you then PFC?"

"Yes, Uhm… Sir." Jaune said as he stared into the blue visor.

"Right then, Good luck to you all. Mako team, Let's move." He said motioning to the other Spartans to follow him.

"Who was that?" Jaune whispered as the Spartans took off at a brisk pace.

"One of the big metal men that helped us find you guys!" Nora exclaimed.

"Called Spartans missy." Garcia said, Nora looked at him and cocked her head sideways.

"Wait…" Weiss suddenly spoke up. "Where's Ashton?" She quickly looked over to Jaune for an answer, The concern and worry on her face was clear.

"He's fine." Jaune reassured her. "He literally just ran off, You guys taking out those tanks gave him the opportunity to."

"Where did he go?" Weiss pressed Jaune for more answers, She was starting to sound a bit aggressive.

"That way." Jaune pointed in the direction he ran off in. "He went to go finish off a squad of Jackals that was retreating, He should be back in a minu-" Jaune stopped as Weiss was already halfway over the pile of rubble.

"And there she goes." Yang sighed.

"What's up with her suddenly?"

"Ready?" Yang asked. "That lady that basically owns you guys told us not to talk to you, So Weiss practically took it upon herself to basically start a crusade against her.

"Why?"

"Meh, She's crazy." Yang said, Blake punched her in the rib. "I mean, She's just… Weiss."

"Lance Corporal." Garcia said to Maeda.

"Yeah?"

"After her, Just make sure the girl doesn't poke her eye out." Garcia said unamused.

"On it," Maeda said as he picked up his rifle and took off after Weiss who had finally climbed over the rubble.

**Weiss Schnee, July 19th -, Atlas, Remnant**

"Guess who's back, Bitches!" Weiss could hear Ashton yell from around the corner, She heard a muffled burst of gunfire and some laughter.

"Well at least he's back to norma- Or as close to it as he can be." Weiss cut herself off mid sentence as she came around the corner, She was met with Ashton, Who had his back to her, Holding a Jackal by it's neck up against a wall. Several dead ones lay at his feet.

The Jackal in Ashton's grasp was struggling violently to be free, But it was no use. Ashton held his machete up to the Jackals throat and pressed down lightly, Not enough to kill the creature but just enough to start drawing some blood. The creature let out a yelp of pain as he did this, It's struggling became more frantic. Weiss thought about opening her mouth to let Ashton know she was there, But she decided against it as she would probably startle him and end up causing him to do something stupid.

"Yeah you like that, Don't ya' bitch?" Ashton laughed as he finally killed the creature after having his fun with it and let it's body drop to the ground. "Now for the trophy."

Suddenly Lance Corporal Maeda came up and walked in front of Weiss. She took a step back, Startled, As he had come out of seemingly nowhere. She had not been aware someone was following her.

"Sergeant?" Maeda called out.

Ashton looked up and over at the young Marine, He could not see Weiss as she was behind him. "What?" He asked as he held up his machete into the air.

"Just what are you doing, Sergeant? Doesn't the Cole Protocol prohibit th-" Maeda started to say before Ashton cut him off.

"First of all, Lance Corporal." Ashton began. "Cole Protocol shouldn't matter in this case, We have no UEG worlds we'll be returning to. Secondly, I do this all the time, It's not like I'll be taking anything back to the ship." Ashton grunted as he continued with his handiwork.

"Regardless, Sergeant. There is something back at our little outpost you should come see, Some more people just came in and they-" Maeda was cut off again, But not by Ashton. It was another barrage of plasma mortars.

Ashton was on his feet in seconds as the mortars began slamming down. "On me Lance Corpora-" He stopped as he began dragging he Marine and Weiss came into view. "The… Fuck? He shook his helmeted head and began running for cover, Dismissing it off as he was seeing things.

"Wait!" Weiss yelled running after them.

"Where are we going, Sergeant?" Maeda asked.

"Getting us into artillery safe cover, A place where there's a low chance of those Covvie guns from having the firing arc to hit us!" Ashton yelled, A plasma mortar hit not to far in front of him and caused his shielding to flare up.

"Ashton!" Weiss finally yelled, She grabbed at his arm and he spun around. He finally realised he wasn't so tired that he was seeing things and that she was actually there.

"Weiss!?" He yelled, He looked up and saw that another barrage of plasma mortars was about to hit. "Fuck it!" He yelled as he tackled her into a nearby hole, Maeda dived in after them.

One of the plasma mortars impacted one of the nearby buildings above and there was a violent shaking as rubble fell down, Some of it covered and filled in parts of the hole. Ashton sat up slowly after a minute and shook his head, The M7S he had taken with him lay a few feet away. Not much light was shining through what remained of the opening nearby. Then Ashton took notice of the girl on the floor next to him.

"Weiss?" He asked softly through his helmet, He had tackled her pretty hard to get her out of the way in time. But sure enough she began to stir and slowly sat up. She looked over to him and he depolarized his visor. "Are you… Okay?"

Weiss responded by suddenly throwing herself forward and hugging him as hard as she could. "I'm just glad you are." She said as she continued to squeeze him.

He pushed her off of him as he took his helmet off. "Damn… You know I thought I was seeing things for a second, That the exhaustion was getting to me." He smirked. "But I'm glad to see yo-" Suddenly Ashton caught himself as the realization dawned on him, His face went cold. "Wait a sec…" He faced Weiss. "What the hell are you doing down here?"

"Well… You see…" Weiss started.

"I specifically told you to stay up on the ship, Where you'd be safe! Now you're down here and I have to save you from plasma mortar barrages!" He exclaimed. "You've done the exact opposite of what I asked of you, Weiss! I didn't just do it with your safety in mind, I did it for my peace of mind!"

"But you just said you're happy to see me!"

"Well of course I'm happy to see you! But I didn't want to see you down here! Weiss this is one of the most dangerous places you could have possibly come, I would been back on the ship in a few hou-" Ashton was suddenly cut off as Weiss got in his face.

"Shut up." She said as her face turned bright red, She hesitated only for a moment before leaning in and kissing him.

"That came out of left field." Ashton said surprised as he pushed her off of him.

"Shut up, Let me enjoy it." She kissed him again.

"If I'm interrupting anything…" Maeda's voice suddenly cut in, The two of them immediately broke off of eachother.

"N-no, Lance Corporal, Everything's fine, What's our situation?" Ashton asked the younger Marine.

"Well, Sarge. It don't look like we're getting out the way we came in." Maeda said as he got up, He walked over to what was left of the opening. "Unless of course we dig our way out."

"No time for that." Ashton said as he walked over to the M7S on the floor and picked it up. "We'll have to find another way out."

Suddenly Ashton could hear his communications going off, He quickly slid his helmet on. "Psycho? You there, Man?" Garcia's voice crackled in.

"Yeah, I hear you." Ashton responded. "What's up?"

"Where you at, Man?" Garcia asked. "We just took another barrage from some plasma mortars, Getting kinda worried since you didn't come back yet. By the way, Those kiddies of yours? They're down here… All of them. Minus that one white haired one, She ran off after you. If she's not with you she may have gotten caught up in the shelling…" Garcia's voice trailed off.

"Got her with me, Maeda too." Ashton responded.

"Good, Where you at?"

"Shelling started so we took cover inside a hole, We seem to be inside some kind of sewer system at the moment." Ashton said.

"Okay? You coming back or what?"

"Negative, Not at the moment. Shelling blew some debris over the top so the way we came in is blocked."

"Damn, Should we come dig you out?"

"Nah, Seems like any old sewer system, We'll go a few blocks up, Find a way out and link back up with you."

"Roger that." Garcia said as he cut his comms, Ashton did the same.

"Coming, Weiss?" He called out to the young girl sitting on the floor, Him and Maeda were already starting to make their way down one of the pathways.

"Huh?" She said as she looked over at him, Her face turned bright red. "Oh, Of course." She said as she got up and ran over to join them.

"So…" Maeda paused. "How exactly are we gonna get out of here?"

"Shouldn't be too hard." Ashton dismissed him. "I mean all we gotta do is either find another breach or look for an access hatch, Shouldn't be too complicated." He said as they walked along one of the metal pathways, Some water was flowing beneath them.

"Starting to get a bit dark." Maeda said.

"Rog, Put on your VISR." Ashton said to Maeda, Both ODSTs did. They also turned on the flashlights on their weapons to help Weiss see. The three of them kept following the pathway for a while, The water rushing nearby. Every so often they would hear a faint thud or boom from above and the tunnel would shake a bit.

"What's going on?" Weiss asked.

"There's a big Covenant spire here in Atlas, My guess is they're taking it down… Which they should, The whole reason we're here is to stop the communications block in the region, Spire was definitely contributing to it."

"What's a spire?" Weiss asked.

"Big Covenant forward command post, Really tall. Acts as a teleporter too, So it can teleport down reinforcements, It really needs to be taken out." Ashton said as another explosion sounded, Bigger this time, The tunnel shook again.

"Sergeant." Maeda suddenly said.

"Mhmm?"

"I got movement, Twelve o'clock." Maeda said as he raised his MA5.

Ashton moved up to where Maeda was and took up a position next to him, Weiss was behind the two of them watching the inky blackness behind them with a hand on her weapon Myrtenaster. Ashton watched the motion tracker in his bottom left and at first didn't see anything. But upon a closer inspection he saw what Maeda was talking about. There were the faintest dots of movement showing up on the tracker, But they were also indicating that whatever they were picking up was above them, Which was impossible, The space between the ceiling and the street above was too thick for the tracker to be detecting that, And there wasn't a second level or anything above them. So it only left one explanation in Ashton's eyes.

"Buggers…" Ashton muttered as one of the insect like aliens crawled into view on the ceiling.

"Fire?" Maeda asked.

"No… Wait… Hold your fire." Ashton said as another one crawled into view in front of them.

"Why?"

"I'm getting a lot more than two on my motion tracker, You?"

"Same." Maeda responded. "Still doesn't give us a reason not to waste the two we can see."

"Shine a light on them first." Ashton said skeptically.

Maeda raised his MA5 with it's flashlight on and aimed it at the two Buggers they could see, Both of which reacted and let out a shriek causing Weiss to turn around.

"What was tha-" Upon seeing the large insect like aliens she almost let out a shriek but Ashton covered her mouth. Maeda fired a quick burst and put both of them down, The insects exploded into bits and pieces from the impacts of the shots.

"See nothin to it." Maeda said as he lowered his rifle, Suddenly the contacts on their motion trackers started converging on their position.

"What were those things!?" Weiss finally asked.

"Buggers, Another alien that's part of the Covenant, Keep an eye out they travel in swarms." Ashton said calmly as he began sweeping the ceiling with his M7S looking for any sign of movement. The contacts on their motion trackers kept converging closer and closer.

"Almost on top of us." Maeda said as he continued sweeping the ceiling.

"Some got behind us." Ashton responded as he turned around, Some of the contacts on their motion trackers had gone around them and were approaching from the rear.

"Ten meters out, Closing fast."

"Rog, Prepare for contact. Weiss, We may have to do something tricky, You might have to throw up an ice wall or something so keep it ready."

"Got it." She responded.

"Five meters." Maeda said.

"Brace." Ashton said, All three of them tensed up, The beams of light on the end of Ashton and Maeda's guns sweeping around the entire tunnel. Still nothing, The contacts kept closing in closer and closer until the trackers said they were right on top of them.

"The hell?" Maeda asked as he lowered his rifle. "Right on us?"

"Don't ease up, Lance Corporal." Ashton said coldly, He was still on edge.

"Sergeant, Are you reading this? They're right on us? Because I got nothing."

"Same." Ashton said, He was a bit confused until the realisation dawned on him, He screamed out for Maeda to move as soon as he heard the buzzing of wings but it was too late. Three Buggers came out of an electrical maintenance shaft above them and dropped down on Maeda slashing at him with their razor sharp clawed hands.

"OH GOD!" The Marine screamed out as they began tearing him apart, Ashton fired a few quick bursts into the Buggers that were on him but more started to come out of the vent, These ones were brandishing plasma pistols.

"Son of a bitch!" Ashton yelled as he fired the rest of the magazine, He started to move forward to grab Maeda when a wall of ice shot up in front of him. "Weiss!?" He yelled as he turned around, The terror was clear on her face. "What the hell was that?"

"I… I panicked, You said to keep it ready to go so I did… And…"

Ashton took off his helmet and turned off his comm as the only thing he was hearing was Maeda's screams of pain as they tore him apart on the other side of the ice wall. The result of her actions suddenly dawned on Weiss and she covered her mouth with one hand.

"Let's go, We need to move…"

"Ashton… I had no intention of getting him…"

"Let's move, Weiss… Nothing we can do…" He sighed. "They're hive minded, They'll all be after us soon enough, We need to get moving."

The pair made their way through the tunnels of the Atlas sewer system in another direction, Ashton constantly keeping an eye on his motion tracker for movement. Everytime he detected something close they would take cover inside little maintenance areas or behind corners until the Buggers would pass.

"Ashton…" Weiss said as they hid inside a maintenance room while a particularly large group flew by.

"Yeah?"

"Are we getting out of here."

"I'd hope we're going the right direction." He said with a grin.

"No I mean, Are we going to get out of here… They just tore him apart… And then I got hi-"

Ashton cut her off. "You couldn't help it… You panicked." Ashton reassured her. "It's just a saving grace I didn't know him all that well. He just lost a buddy too, So at least he's together with him. Alright?"

Weiss only looked down. "But still…"

"It's not your fault, People die in wars Weiss, Horrible deaths like that." Ashton leaned over and kissed her on top of the head. "You can't dwell on it, He's just another faceless casualty as of now… Let's move." Ashton said as he leaned his head out the door.

The two started walked up one of the tunnels again when there was a sudden loud and violent explosion, Larger than any of the previous ones. The entire tunnel was shaking and the two of them lost their balance. While they were on the floor, Ashton's motion tracker suddenly picked up a massive amount of contacts headed right for them.

"Ah crap, Here they come." Ashton said as he got into a prone position on the floor, Weiss got ready to make another ice wall if she had to.

A massive swarm of Buggers was flying down the tunnel towards them, They were sticking towards the ceiling and flying as fast as they could. Ashton fired a few bursts and nailed a few of them, Their insect like bodies exploding from the shots. Ashton was about to yell for Weiss to put up an ice wall when the Buggers simply flew right over them. They weren't interested in fighting it seemed, No they were running… From what, Ashton had no idea but he wasn't about to argue.

"What was that about?" Weiss asked.

"No idea, But looks like they're headed for a way out, Let's go." Ashton said as he took off after the swarm at a jogging pace, Weiss was close behind him.

Eventually after following after the swarm of Buggers they found a blown apart access hatch that led to the surface, Ashton climbed out first and turned around to help Weiss out. A patrol of Marines was nearby and one of the Warthogs they had with them was firing at the Buggers as the flew off to wherever they were going. After Ashton confirmed their location with one of the Marines him and Weiss walked several blocks over back to where the others should have been.

"Yo, Psycho!" Garcia called out from a low rooftop, He was watching them approach up the street through a pair of micro binoculars. Ashton responded with an exhausted wave.

When Ashton and Weiss got over to where the main defences were set up Ruby practically squeezed the life out of him. "You're okay!" She squealed.

"Of course, Why wouldn't I be?"

"We were starting to get worried." Yang said as she joined in on the bear hugging.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, You were gone for quite a bit." Ruby said. "Long enough that they took down this giant thing that Garcia showed us in the distance. There were a lot of aircraft flying overhead and then they dropped bombs on it, And then these missiles flew out of nowhere like WHOOSH and it toppled over." Ruby went on and on, Ashton finally took notice of the giant black and purple smoke cloud in the background sky.

"Ah. Good to see the spire's down." He said as he pushed the two of them off of him. "I'm also glad to see you, But I swear I told you guys to stay on the ship."

"Weiss's fault." They both said pointing to her.

"Why you…" She said.

"No one's fault." Ashton laughed. "She already explained to me." Ashton pointed to Weiss.

"About scary Navy lady and how we can't talk to you?"

"What?"

"They can explain later." Garcia said. "Here's our extract." As he said this a Pelican began to land nearby.

"We're leaving?"

"Mhmm."

"Good, I need a hot fucking shower and a nap after today. Possibly in reverse order." Ashton chuckled as he made his way onto the aircraft, The remaining ODSTs, As well as team RWBY and JNPR got onboard as well.

"Comms blackout is over, Been that way since the spire came down so the fight really swayed once we could start calling in CAS."

"Oh I could tell, Damn tunnel shook every time a bomb hit." Ashton said. "But good, At least we can chalk this up to a victory."

The Pelican lurched up into the sky, The rear hatch remained down while they were in atmosphere. They flew along between the skyscrapers and other buildings, It was actually a relatively peaceful flight. No AA or Banshees, The UNSC had pretty much mopped up the Covenant force in Atlas… Of course Atlas was still a wrecked warzone, But at least it was a victory. Ashton closed his eyes and prepared to catch some shut eye during the flight.

"Oh my God…" Blake's voice made his eyes snap awake. "What… Is that…" Ashton looked where she was pointing and saw the massive spacecraft descend through the clouds towards the ground. It was absolutely colossal, Everyone inside the Pelican watched in horror as some kind of red beam powered up beneath it.

"Cover your eyes!" Ashton yelled as the Covenant ship began glassing the area where the spire had been, Killing the UNSC personnel in that area and beginning the destruction of the planet.

This was the beginning of the end.

**A/N: Well Happy New Year, Boy this story has come along way. We've finally made it to double digits in terms of chapters, So yay. Thanks for all the support as I write this, Until next time, Enjoy.**


	11. Act 1, Chapter 11

**Disclaimer : I do not own RWBY or Halo they are respectively owned by Rooster Teeth and 343 Industries**

(Text / Speech)

**(Flashbacks / Author Notes / Video Recordings)**

_(Thoughts)_

**Chapter 11: **

**Sergeant Ashton Dommer, July 19th -, Low Orbit over Remnant**

"What was that thing?" Jaune asked Ashton, He was sitting across from him in the Pelican. The dim red light illuminating everyone. It had been about fifteen minutes since they witnessed the CAS-Class Assault Carrier descend from the clouds and begin it's destruction of the kingdom of Atlas. After everyone had calmed down slightly an eerie silence settled in inside the aircraft. Ashton had been listening to radio transmissions ordering UNSC forces to pull back from Atlas.

"That'd be the ship we talked about earlier, Jaune..." Ashton paused. "CAS-Class from the looks of it."

"That mean something?" Yang asked.

"Means it's an Assault Carrier, A little more than we're outfitted to handle." Garcia chimed in. "Cerberus is only an Autumn Class Heavy Cruiser, That Covvie ship is way bigger."

"Well what're we gonna do about it?" Jaune asked.

"Do about it?" Ashton chuckled slightly. "There's nothing WE can do."

"Nothing?"

"Again, That is a CAS-Class Assault Carrier, It's pretty damn big… Bigger than us at least, We start a fight with it... Head on at least, We're not gonna walk away." Ashton said as he unsheathed his machete and glanced over the blade, This was becoming a force of habit to him recently.

"So that's it then?" Ren asked, He had walked over from the other end of the troop bay. "We lose?"

"Maybe..."

"What do you mean 'Maybe', Ashton you just said there's nothing we can do about it."

"I never told you, Jaune... Well, Any of you really. But the first place I saw fighting was a planet called Reach."

"Yeah? And this is relevant?"

"Well, Reach was in a... Similar situation as Remnant. I mean... The fleet that invaded Reach consisted of hundreds of ships, But an Assault Carrier lead the initial attacks."

"Alright? Where are you going with this?" Jaune asked, He was resting his left foot on his helmet which he had placed on the floor.

"Now, I never got the exact details, I was assigned to defending an airbase which... Got overrun, But that's besides the point... But the Assault Carrier was taken out, And not by a large number of ships or anything." Ashton paused. "From what I heard, They took the slipspace drive off of one of our smaller ships, Got inside a Covenant ship, And when they got it close they set the drive off."

"And what would that do?" Yang asked.

"Well, The slipspace drive is mankind's greatest invention where I come from... It can also be our most destructive. When you don't mount these things properly they stop being the fastest form of travel and turn into... The most destructive bomb in existence basically... They got this ship close to the Assault Carrier and set it off from what I heard, Teleported half of the thing into oblivion."

"So they saved Reach like that?"

"Eh... No. Reach fell shortly afterward, They brought in a pair of Supercarriers and more ships, Glassed Reach by the end of the month. Taking out the Assault Carrier was a feeble attempt at victory. After Reach they moved on to Earth... And you know how that went."

"So then why bring this up if it ended in defeat?" Jaune asked.

"Well we do have a slipspace drive... But I don't think General Cato would be willing to donate it to the cause."

"Why not?" Yang asked.

"Because it'd probably be the only way we'd ever get home, Plus without it the ship is crippled and would barely be able to escape should it come under attack... Plus it's a one way trip for the team that has to set it off." Garcia cut in.

"Oh..."

"Now I'm gonna try and finish my nap if you don't mind." Ashton said as he leaned back in his hard seat that was attached to the wall. "I'd rest up too if I was you."

**General Damien Cato, July 19th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

"Commander Palmer can you hear me?" General Cato spoke into the communications device after opening a channel for him and the Commander.

"Yes, Sir. Loud and clear." A holographic image of Commander Palmer's face popped up in front of him.

"Mind telling me what the hell just happened down there? I've got unit commanders calling in frantic as hell, Astronomical casualty reports coming in, And a complete lack of tactical control at the moment."

"Well, Sir... We found their ship."

"God dammit... How bad?"

"A good chunk of the city was already gone by the time me and my Spartans pulled out, Sir... And we pulled out last."

"Roger that... I'm giving the order for a general retreat, I want every unit that's not disabled back on Cerberus in ten minutes, We're moving."

"Roger that, Sir. Me and my Spartans will be there in six."

General Cato cut the communications off with Commander Palmer and another one immediatley popped up. It was Lieutenant Murray, General Cato opened the communications with a sigh as the young ONI Lieutenant appeared in front of him.

"Lieutenant, What a surprise."

"Good afternoon to you too, Sir."

"Seems this little operation has gone a bit... South."

"Would seem so, However..."

"However?"

"However, Sir. We are now in a prime position to strike the enemy."

"Strike the enemy? Are you out of your goddamn mind, Lieutenant? I don't need to remind you of the kind of ship we are dealing with, Not to mention all of our personnel are in disarray from what just happened. Now is not the time to strike, We have other plans."

"Other plans, Sir?" Lieutenant Murray asked.

"Yes, I've gone over the final preparations with that man that came aboard awhile ago. We'll be heading to a kingdom on this world they call Vacuo next. From there I will personally be meeting with the commanding officer of this planets supposed largest military force, A General Ironwood."

"Why, Sir?"

"Why? Because, Lieutenant, We're running out of goddamn time, We can take all the help we can get."

"Sir, With all due respect, We are the most experienced force in fighting the Covenant here, Not a military that just began fighting them a few days ago."

"Be that as it may, Lieutenant, We need all the help we can get. We don't have the numbers to keep throwing ourselves at the Covenant head on like we just did in Atlas."

"Very well, Sir... Oh and one more thing."

"What's that, Lieutenant?"

"It would seem that... Our very special guests have taken it upon themselves to visit the battlefield."

General Cato let out a sigh. "And? Lieutenant I have more important things to deal with than some teenagers who decided they wanted to leave the ship. You can deal with them when they are back onboard."

Lieutenant Murray's face seemed to light up a bit when she was told she would be allowed to deal with the teens. "Understood, Sir." She said as she cut the communication.

"God we've gotten yourself into the mother of all clusterfucks now..." General Cato muttered to himself.

**Sergeant Ashton Dommer, July 19th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

The Pelican lurched as it landed in the hangar of the UNSC Cerberus, Causing Ashton to jerk awake. His eyes quickly shot open as he forgot where he was for a second. Everyone else on board was asleep save for the crew of the Pelican.

Ashton began to stand up and prepare to disembark when he noticed the weight on his left arm. He looked down to find a certain girl who had grown quite fond of him had come over to him while he was asleep and fell asleep next to him. He sighed as he flicked her on the head as hard as he could since past experience proved to him this would be the only way which would get her up.

"OW!" She yelled as he pushed her off of his arm so he could stand up. "WHY!?"

"Because." Ashton paused. "You sleep like a brick. It's the only way I can wake you up."

"You could have tried something a bit sweeter." Weiss said as she leaned towards him.

"Yeah... Nice try." He said as he playfully pushed her back. "But that won't work on me. Get ready for disembarkation."

Weiss let out an annoyed sigh as he picked the rest of his gear off of the floor. When he looked back down at her she pouted.

"Oh, For christ's sake." Ashton said as rubbed the top of her head and messed up her hair. "Get ready will you?"

The sound of Yang giggling quickly interrupted them. "Oh what's going on there?"

"Nothing!" Weiss responded as Ashton quickly made his way over to the ramp that was dropping down.

"Are you suuure?" Yang continued to push.

"Affirmative." Ashton said as he turned around. "You should be getting ready to disembark too, Yang." Ashton paused. "In fact, ALL OF YOU should be getting ready to disembark." He said loudly causing the number of teens that were still asleep to jolt awake.

"Pancakes!" Nora sorted as she jumped awake.

Ashton stepped down the ramp into the hangar, It was an ugly sight. Wounded were being unloaded from the Pelicans, Maintenance personnel and flight crews were running around all over. The distinct smells of grease, blood, and sulfur hung in the air. Smells Ashton had become far too familiar with.

"Christ…" He muttered as he walked along. Weiss quickly rushed after him, Followed by the others shortly after.

"Ashton… Is something bothering you?" She asked

"I'm tired is all, I'm gonna go catch a nap." He muttered. "Mine was cut short earlier."

The sudden change in his attitude was very noticeable among the teens, It seemed the minute he exited the aircraft a switch had been turned on inside of him and his mood changed completely. Weiss did the smart thing and let him pull off ahead by himself.

"Whoa, What's up with him suddenly?" Yang asked as he made a turn around a parked Pelican.

"I have no idea…"

"Don't take it personally." Garcia said from behind the group. "He's always like this after a fight."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked. "He didn't seem that way after all the times we saw him fight before."

"Before he was alone."

"But we were with him…?" Yang said.

"I mean other UNSC. It's just a weird thing about Ash. Give him a few hours, He'll sleep it off." Garcia was trying to get off the subject.

"What do you mea-" Ruby was about to persist with more questions but the Marine was already walking away.

"Something's not right…" Yang paused. "I don't like it."

**Private First Class Ashton Dommer, August 1st 2552, Reach, Epsilon Eridani system**

"**The Covvies own everything east of I-224, Colonel! This sector is gonna fall within the hour! I just lost contact with…." Ashton awoke to the sounds of someone screaming this into a radio, It was taking him a minute to remember where he was. "Say again, Where's our air support? Tell them to-" The voice was cut off by a sudden explosion. "Contact! Covvie infantry breaching the perimeter!"**

**Several plasma bolts soared overhead and hit the wall behind Ashton, He began sitting up and trying to see what was going on. He was inside some kind of structure, Marines were spread out at the nearby windows and firing their weapons at the Covenant he assumed were making their way towards the building. The one who had been yelling into the radio slid over to him.**

"**Marine, You awake?"**

"**Y-yeah." Ashton stammered.**

"**Can you shoot." The Marine officer pointed at his arm, Ashton took note of the bandage wrapped around it.**

"**Yes, Sir."**

"**Good. On me, Marine." The officer said as he shoved his MA5 into Ashton's hands. Ashton struggled up to his feet and began to follow the officer into a hallway, There were civilians sitting on the floor… Lots of them.**

"**Sir… What's the situation?" Ashton asked.**

"**Guess that fall really did you in, Eh PFC?" The officer asked without turning around.**

"**Fall, Sir?"**

"**You took a hit to the arm as we were deploying out of a Pelican, You're tougher than you look, Boot." He said as he started making his way up a staircase. "We're covering for the evac of these civilians. I can't get a good signal through to command so we need to go up to the roof, Just keep me covered, Marine."**

**The officer popped a hatch at the top of the stairs and the sunlight hit Ashton in the face, He had no helmet on, He assumed another Marine took it while he was unconscious. The sky was filled with smoke, Ashton was beginning to remember where he was now.**

**Suddenly the officers radio came to life. "2-1 Bravo, This is Overlord, Reading me now? Over."**

"**Overlord, Bravo 2-1, Loud and clear. Out."**

"**Bravo 2-1, You have Reaper 6-1: Flight of four AV-14s pushing to IP Whiskey."**

"**Bravo 2-1 copys all, Out." The officer said into his radio as he switched frequency. Ashton fired a burst from the MA5 into two Grunts approaching the building from the West. He looked over on his right and saw that there were multiple shuttle aircraft preparing for takeoff. "Reaper 6-1, This is Bravo 2-1, Standby for new mission."**

"**Reaper standing by." Came the response over the radio. **

"**TOT 20, Close in fire support, Non standard. Minus 1 to minus 12 and plus 4 to plus 2. Gun target line 260, I'm gonna talk you to the target, How copy? Over." The officer said into his radio.**

"**Solid copy on all, Go ahead, Over." Ashton heard the response as he fired another burst which caused a Jackal to reconsider coming around the corner.**

"**East-North East Al Bahani Airstation about… 900 meters. There's a Pelican wreck, Call contact?"**

"**Contact."**

"**South of that wreck should be a small road running East to West of Richardson ATC, Call contact?"**

"**Contact." The pilot responded, The Covenant were starting to push hard, A few plasma mortars landed nearby.**

"**We are observing from a position 200 meters south of Union ATC in a grey structure at the end of that road, Call contact?"**

"**Contact."**

"**Your target is a column of 3 Wraiths moving towards the hangars across the tarmac and 300 meters to our left. Be advised, Lots of civvies packed into those hangars waiting for evac."**

"**Reaper has contact on all, We are passing IP Whiskey and rolling into heading Zero-Nine-Zero."**

"**Roger that, Make it rain." The Officer said before seeing the incoming fire. "Get down, Marine!" He yelled as he pushed Ashton down. A plasma mortar impacted the nearby Union ATC Tower and killed the Marines who had been firing off rockets from inside.**

"**Reaper off safe. Guns, Guns, Guns."**

**Ashton watched as the AV-14 Attack VTOLs began their run, The lead one broke off and strafed the column of Wraiths with it's GUA-23/A Heavy Autocannon.**

"**Guns… Guns… Guns…" The pilot said before breaking off his attack.**

"**Reaper 6-2, Off safe… Rolling in." The second AV-14's pilot said as she began her attack run. One of the Wraiths went up in a ball of fire before she broke off.**

"**Bandit inbound, Break right, Break right!" The first pilot said. A group of Banshees had come out of seemingly nowhere and were jumping them. "I'm hit, Ejecting!"**

"**I got nothing, Where are they, Where are the-" The third pilot was cut off as his aircraft went up into a fireball. Ashton watched in horror as it smashed into one of the evac shuttles creating an even bigger explosion and destroying one of the hangars.**

"**Breaking off, Breaking off!" The female pilot yelled as she went evasive. She fired off a few rounds from her autocannon into a Banshee before taking a burst of plasma to the left engine and slamming into the ground.**

**The fourth AV-14 broke off and tried to escape, Ashton didn't see the end result as the officer began dragging him by the back of his armor down the stairs.**

"**Sir, What now?" Ashton asked as he reloaded his rifle.**

"**Now…. Now w-" The man was cut off as a plasma mortar impacted the building, Ashton and the officer were thrown aside in the explosion.**

"**Fuck…" Ashton muttered as he pushed himself up. The officer couldn't do the same, The explosion had flung a piece of shrapnel about the size of Ashton's hand into the back of his neck. Ashton quickly picked up the radio off of his corpse. "Overlord, This is Bravo 2-1, Bravo 2-1 Actual is KIA, I repeat, Bravo 2-1 Actual is KIA. We are combat ineffective, Unable to hold this grid. How copy? Over."**

"**Bravo 2-1, Overlord. Interrogative. How many men are left? Over."**

**Ashton kept his head low and moved around the building, After all the plasma mortar bombardment only him and about three other Marines were left. Thankfully any civilians that had been in the building were moved to one of the hangars while Ashton was on the roof.**

"**Overlord, Bravo 2-1. We are down to three men. I repeat, We are down to three me-" Ashton was cut off by a loud explosion, One of the evac shuttles attempted to take off and was shot down, Crashing into the tarmac. "Three men. Over." Ashton finished as he watched the fireball.**

"**Bravo 2-1, Overlord. Friendly armor support is 10 mikes out, Think you can hold out that long? Over."**

"**Overlord, Bravo 2-1. Negative, Requesting to fall back to nearest hangar and set up a more defensible position. Over."**

"**Negative, Bravo 2-1. That'll draw unnecessary fire to the hangars, 10 mikes and closing, Hold on, Marine. Out." The voice on the other end of the radio changed and Ashton could hear gunfire in the background. He assumed that whatever unit 'Overlord' was was having their own problems.**

"**Bravo 2-1 copies all." Ashton paused. "Out."**

"**Ashton…"**

**Ashton flipped around. No one was there.**

"**Ashton…"**

**The voice repeated, It was soft, Sounded as if it was far away yet in his ear at the same time. He couldn't make sense of it.**

"**Ashton!"**

**Sergeant Ashton Dommer, July 19th -, UNSC Cerberus, In High Orbit over Remnant**

Ashton snapped awake as his voice was called for the first time, He shot straight up in his bed. The room was dark so he couldn't really see, But he could feel the eyes watching him through the blackness. He reached for his machete as his eyes adjusted.

"Ashton?" The voice asked, He let his guard down as he realised who it was.

"What do you want?" He asked as he layed back down and pulled his blanket over his head. "I was sleeping."

"It didn't seem like you were enjoying it." Weiss said.

"I'm weird."

"Oh, I know."

"Now what do you want?" He asked again.

"You've been asleep for a few hours now, The others are eating and they sent me to get you."

Ashton looked at the time and sat up. "Alright then, Weiss. I'll catch up with you guys in there in a few minutes. Just gonna go take a walk around first."

"I could come with you."

"If it's all the same to you, Weiss. I'll only be a few minutes so let me go alone, Alright?"

"Oh… Okay. Come find us when you're done then." She said with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Got it, Got it." He said as he gave her a kiss on the top of her head as he walked past.

Ashton made his way out into the corridor from his barracks room, As usual the frantic rush of UNSC personnel was running about. As expected, Considering a Covenant ship was now glassing the planet. He noticed there was a large amount of civilians now as well, He wondered just how many refugees from Remnant they had taken onboard at this point… And if it really was the best idea to have them here.

A child clinged to her mother as Ashton walked past, Eying him timidly. He gave a polite smile and the child took a step behind her mother before popping out and letting a huge grin cross her face.

"So they got you up, Eh?" A familiar voice asked from behind Ashton, He kept walking without turning around.

"Sure did, Now what do you want, Man?" Ashton asked Garcia as they walked.

"Nothing, Just makin' sure you're feeling better is all."

"Oh, I'm fine."

"I know you are, The kiddies made me ask."

"Yeah, I figured." Ashton said as they rounded the corner. He was suddenly cut off by a sharp pain in his lower jaw and found himself looking up at the ceiling. Ashton turned his head towards Garcia after bringing his head back down, Garcia had a look of disbelief on his face.

"Dude..." Was all the other Marine said.

Ashton turned his head forward again, In a bit of disbelief himself, Only to be met with another punch to the face from his assailant. As the civilian brought their arm in for another punch Ashton raised up his and caught the blow in his hand. The look on the person who looked fairly familiar to Ashton's face went cold with fear as Ashton began crushing his hand with an audible crack.

Strangely enough this guy did the same thing Ashton had seen some of the people from this world do before, He had a faint glow coming off of him. The assailant muttered something, But Ashton didn't hear it over the crack of a forehead meeting a nose as he smacked his own head into the teen's.

"Come on... Get up." Ashton said to the boy now reeling on the floor in pain and holding his bloody nose. "Come on... You're just gonna attack a UNSC Marine and then give up because of of a bloody nose? Whatever, Whoever you are... You're lucky I'm in such a good mood, Or you'd be getting much worse than just a bloody nose." Ashton said as he rubbed his jaw and stepped over the teen. Garcia followed quickly behind.

"Bro... What was that about?" Garcia asked.

"Not a clue." Ashton responded as he rubbed his jaw one final time. "Whoever the hell that was... Fuck, They hit hard."

Suddenly there was a yelling behind them and Ashton felt a pain in his back, The person had gotten up off the ground and tried to attack Ashton again by hitting him from behind with all their weight. Ashton only stumbled forward a bit before turning around. "Oh yes… This is really happening."

"I'm gonna kick your ass…" The teen finally spoke some words Ashton could understand.

"Pretty big talk coming from a little bitch."

"Pretty big talk coming from a-" The teen was cut off from the impact of Ashton's fist into his chest, Knocking the wind out of him.

Garcia took note of the crazed look on Ashton's face at this point and tried to intervene. "Ash, Come on, Let the Masters at Arms handle this kid. Let's just continue on our wa-" Garcia had placed himself in front of Ashton as a sort of shield but was cut off as he was shoved aside.

"I don't know who you are bud…" Ashton's voice trailed off as the teen threw another punch, Ashton caught it and spun the teen around, He was holding his arm behind him now. "But do me a favor and try not to scream like a bitch." Ashton said as he brought the teens arm up hard behind his back.

A small crowd had gathered at this point. Ashton dropped the teen to the ground as a pair of Masters at Arms approached.

"Afternoon, Gentlemen." Ashton greeted them with a sarcastic smile. "How can I help you?" The Masters at Arms weren't as amused as Ashton would have hoped as one pushed him into the wall and the other applied a pair of zip cuffs to his hands. "Woah woah woah, Come on guys, We were just having a little fun was all. No need to get crazy and pull out the cuffs."

The Masters at Arms remained silent as the one who pushed Ashton into the wall gave him a shove down the hallway and gripped his sidearm. The other one lifted the teen off the ground and zip cuffed him as well..

"Move it. Both of you." The senior one finally spoke. He had an MA5 variant of some kind.

"Hey, He didn't mean nothin by it, They was just blowing off some steam was all." Garcia tried to defend Ashton, Barely keeping up with the MAA's.

"Corporal, Unless you want to join them… Return to your unit." One said as he looked at Garcia.

"But…" Garcia got the message once one of them gave him a good long stare. "Ash, I'll tell the kiddies what happened. We'll get this shit sorted out ASAP." Garcia said before quickly getting away from the group.

Ashton and the teen were pushed down hall after hall before being lead to a room. They were pushed inside and made to sit down at opposing ends of a metal table in metal chairs. One of the Masters at Arms remained in the room while the other shut the door from the outside. Ashton had a bad feeling about what was going to happen,

**A/N: Oh my god, Hello! A few things I'm so sorry that for one this chapter is soooo late, But it's also soooo short. Between problems with my ISP, school, a nasty case of writer's block at one point, and just life in general I barely had time to write at all. So when I did I pumped out a half length chapter as fast as I could to make up for the fact it's been almost two months since a new one! So sorry about this! The next chapter should be more… timely… and be full length. I'm so sorry again! Until next time, Enjoy!**


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